Ayan Jain
Retail Investor, Space Companies
AST SpaceMobile's launch prospects depend on more bookings, while SpaceX can subsidize lower mobile prices to take share. Even a good launch partner matters little without those bookings: New Glenn must focus on Blue Origin and Amazon, and other providers are not scaling fast. These long-standing concerns are proving right; the competition is a matter of when, not if. x.com
AST SpaceMobile isn't investable until it gives some view into revenue and margins, and heavy dilution weighs on holders. Its share count is now about 300M; @Spybef0rey0ubuy counts 8.6M in 2021 and 256M in 2025. Space is hard with a big graveyard, so AST must execute to avoid it or, more likely, get acquired. Unlike Rocket Lab in April 2024, which had proven launch systems and a clear path to revenue and profits, AST's story isn't good yet, though it might be someday. x.com x.com
SpaceX's move makes AST SpaceMobile's future pricing power more uncertain and leaves less room for delays. That makes AST a bearish lean here, despite the real possibility that mobile carriers back it more aggressively if Starlink goes after their customers. AST can still succeed, but execution is far from guaranteed and competition is getting stronger. x.com x.com
SpaceX and Amazon's unlimited resources and talent make AST SpaceMobile an unwise investment. Buying it means competing with both. x.com
Proposed FCC rules to more than double SCS spectrum are wildly bullish for AST SpaceMobile and SpaceX, the only two SCS license holders. AST trades below the value of its Ligado rights; its agreed deal has almost no chance of FCC blockage despite objections. AST could return to its highs sooner rather than later if the November 9 call clarifies production and Blue Origin keeps moving New Glenn toward the pad. New Glenn is the value unlock. x.com x.com x.com x.com
AST SpaceMobile's technology would be orders of magnitude inferior to SpaceX's even if it delivers on its plans. That adds a product-competition risk to its need for more capital and further launch delays while relying on SpaceX, now its leading competitor, for launch. x.com
AST SpaceMobile's reliance on competitor SpaceX for satellite launches weakens its moat further. SpaceX has bought its own spectrum, raising competitive risk. Piper Sandler downgraded ASTS over the pace of 2026-27 launches and SpaceX's potential to limit launch availability or undercut service pricing, though the bank remains constructive beyond 2027. x.com
AST SpaceMobile's direct-to-phone satellite network makes it an extremely bullish long-term space-economy bet. Partnerships with more than 60 mobile operators representing over 3 billion potential subscribers and about $1.3 billion in contracted revenue backlog support the case. It targets initial, intermittent broadband coverage in five countries before end-2026; its market cap is roughly half Rocket Lab's, though both face significant execution risks. x.com
SpaceX's competitive threat makes AST SpaceMobile less attractive at these levels than SpaceX and Rocket Lab. AST SpaceMobile's weekly chart shows a downtrend and strong outflows, though the stock is near marked support. x.com
AST SpaceMobile's forward growth is hurt by Blue Origin's major launch failure, a delay many are dismissing as immaterial. For a company priced mainly on future growth, a launch delay of perhaps four to seven months pushes back not just one satellite but the subsequent ones, and it no longer looks on track for 45 satellites. After its investigation Blue Origin will likely also be backlogged with Amazon Kuiper and Defense Department payloads, leaving AST dependent on competitor SpaceX. x.com
Space stocks could regain high-beta flows as SpaceX lockups end and a probable late-November Anthropic IPO threatens AI stocks, much as SpaceX's IPO hurt space names. Hedge funds are overexposed to the Magnificent Seven and underexposed or max short low-quality high beta; falling rates and toppy oil could make the rotation painful for them through 2027. AST SpaceMobile could benefit as intermittent service triggers agreements and Blue Origin possibly returns to the pad in six weeks. x.com x.com
AST SpaceMobile faces growing satellite-cellular competition beyond Starlink Mobile, which, per Starlink, agreed to acquire a nationwide US low-band spectrum portfolio. A later 5,105-satellite direct-to-cell system from Amazon tied to Globalstar is also a threat. AST's best chance is giving AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile a fighting chance against them; that reliable Starlink Mobile service is a long way off doesn't matter. x.com x.com x.com x.com
