AST SpaceMobile Secures Contract for MDA's SHIELD Program
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 19 2026
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Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Contract Awarded: AST SpaceMobile has been awarded a contract for the MDA's SHIELD program, enabling participation in the development, testing, and maintenance of critical defense systems, thereby enhancing U.S. national security.
- Technology Utilization: The company will leverage its low-Earth orbit satellite network to provide secure communications, sensing, and command-and-control capabilities, improving the responsiveness and operational resilience of missile defense systems.
- Market Competition: AST SpaceMobile faces competition from Globalstar and Viasat, both of which are also providing secure satellite communication solutions for the U.S. military, highlighting the importance of commercial space in national security.
- Stock Performance: AST SpaceMobile's shares have skyrocketed 457.1% over the past year, significantly outpacing the industry's 29.8% growth, reflecting strong market confidence in its future prospects.
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Analyst Views on ASTS
Wall Street analysts forecast ASTS stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for ASTS is 74.26 USD with a low forecast of 43.00 USD and a high forecast of 100.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
9 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
3 Hold
2 Sell
Hold
Current: 122.090
Low
43.00
Averages
74.26
High
100.00
Current: 122.090
Low
43.00
Averages
74.26
High
100.00
About ASTS
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. is engaged in building a global cellular broadband network in space to operate directly with standard, unmodified mobile devices based on its intellectual property (IP) and patent portfolio and designed for both commercial and government applications. The Company is engaged in designing and developing the constellation of BlueBird (BB) satellites and has planned space-based Cellular Broadband network distributed through a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Its SpaceMobile Service is being designed to provide high-speed cellular broadband services to end-users who are out of terrestrial cellular coverage using existing mobile devices. The Company intends to continue testing capabilities of the BW3 test satellite, including further testing with cellular service providers and the government. The Company has operations in India, Scotland, Spain, and Israel.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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