Firefly Aerospace and AST SpaceMobile Finalize $1.3 Billion Rocket Engine Supply Agreement
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- ManufacturingDive.com
Firefly Aerospace has secured a $1.3 billion agreement with AST SpaceMobile to supply 36 rocket engines, including 27 Miranda engines and 9 Vira engines. This deal will enable Firefly to enhance its hiring, procure materials, and improve infrastructure at its Rocket Ranch site in Briggs, Texas. The engines will support AST's upcoming Blacklift rocket, designed for deploying BlueBird satellites into low-Earth orbit, with launches expected to begin in late 2028.
This partnership is significant as it allows both companies to expand their capabilities and address the growing demand in the aerospace sector. Firefly's CEO, Jason Kim, emphasized that the funding will help the company build and test more efficiently while ensuring safety and reliability. AST SpaceMobile's president, Scott Wisniewski, noted that the Miranda engine will expedite the development of the Blacklift rocket, enabling better service to commercial and government clients.
Firefly Aerospace is set to increase its engineering capacity and meet critical milestones across its programs. The Blacklift rocket will facilitate the deployment of multiple BlueBird satellites per launch, targeting various markets, including AI edge computing and secure communications. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
Original report
Firefly Aerospace, AST SpaceMobile sign $1.3B rocket-engine supply deal
ManufacturingDive.com · Sara SamoraThis briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
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