A Starlink rival's stock is surging again, as space stocks stay red hot

MW A Starlink rival's stock is surging again, as space stocks stay red hot

By William Gavin

The share gains come after the President Trump signed an executive order to ensure 'American space superiority

AST SpaceMobile has inked agreements with more than 50 mobile network operators, including Verizon Communications.

AST SpaceMobile stock was surging Monday as investors prepare for an upcoming launch of the company's next-generation satellites.

And it's not the only space stock seeing strong gains, as the recent run up in the sector carries over to a second week following a tacit endorsement from President Donald Trump.

The Midland, Texas-based satellite maker AST is set to launch its first next-generation satellite, the BlueBird 6, from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in India on Tuesday evening. It had initially targeted a Dec. 15 launch.

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) says BlueBird 6 will be more than three times the size of its previous satellites and support 10 times the data capacity. The company also said that it will be the largest commercial phased array in low-Earth orbit, or LEO.

"The mission marks the start of our next phase of execution, with a launch planned every 45 days on average during 2026, as we continue building space-based cellular broadband connectivity for all," AST SpaceMobile said in a statement.

AST SpaceMobile stock rose 14.3% in recent midday trading, and has now hiked up 40.1% over the past three sessions. Despite a six-week selloff that lasted through much of November, the stock has quadrupled in value - up 310.8% - this year.

The company has said it expects to complete five orbital launches in the first quarter of next year as it looks to compete with SpaceX's Starlink and others working on LEO satellites. They're looking to win a slice of a total addressable market that could be worth around $200 billion, according to a Bank of America analysis.

Read: AST SpaceMobile and Starlink may prove friend, not foe, to these wireless stocks

AST SpaceMobile plans to offer "intermittent" direct-to-direct cellular service across the U.S. by early 2026 and expand its reach later in the year. It has agreements with more than 50 mobile network operators, including Verizon Communications $(VZ)$, a company executive said in November.

In addition to the anticipation for Tuesday's planned launch, the stock may be benefiting from renewed interest in the space industry. Last week, Shift4 Payments (FOUR) founder Jared Isaacman became the new administrator of NASA and President Trump signed an executive order titled, "Ensuring American Space Superiority."

Shares of BlackSky Technology $(BKSY)$, Intuitive Machines (LUNR), Voyager Technologies $(VOYG)$, Redwire $(RDW)$, Planet Labs $(PL)$, Firefly Aerospace $(FLY)$ and Satellogic (SATL) also showed strong gains on Monday. Sidus Space's stock (SIDU) rocketed 97% in recent Monday trading after being awarded part of a contract with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

Rocket Lab shares (RKLB) stock shot up 10.7% toward a record high on Monday, as good news continues to pour in for the launch company, which just won its biggest government contract ever. The stock has powered up 45% over the past three sessions, and has soared 207% in 2025.

See More: Elon Musk suggests this underrated AI business could be a big driver of SpaceX's valuation

-William Gavin

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 22, 2025 13:15 ET (18:15 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.