David G. retweeted
The deal also further improves $FLY's already strong balance sheet:
> It had $635m of cash and short-term investments at the end of Q2.
> Take off a quarter's burn and add the $400m upfront, and that's ~$900m+ (est.).
> With a $305m undrawn RCF on top.
That's enough to invest hard in scaling: engine production, Alpha and Eclipse cadence, and the Blue Ghost lander assembly line going into Cedar Park. It shouldn't need to raise equity for at least a year or two.
Then there's the ASTS stock:
> Assuming a 1-yr lock-up, c.13–14m shares at today's c.$32 is c.$430m.
> If ASTS gets back to analyst targets (c.$75), that's c.$1bn FLY can sell down to fund the next leg of growth.
$FLY / $ASTS: the more I look at the $1.3bn deal, the more it looks like a win-win. Broken down by parts:
Licence: c.$800m upfront ($400m cash + 10–14m ASTS shares)
> ASTS gets: perpetual right to build Miranda and Vira in-house, skipping a 5–10 yr engine programme
> FLY gets: $400m cash, c.$400m of locked-up ASTS stock, and keeps the IP
Miranda probably cost FLY ~$200m (est.) to develop, so ASTS is paying c.4x. Still cheap versus building one yourself. FLY had Alpha's Reaver/Lightning engines to build from and Northrop's help. Rocket Lab's Archimedes leaned on Rutherford the same way. Aerojet spent ~$350m on AR1 and got one prototype that never flew.
Engines: $250m for 36 (27 Miranda, 9 Vira), ~$7m each
> ASTS gets: engines for the first three Blacklifts while its own engine plant is still being built, so the plant can't delay first launch
> FLY gets: a paid order that funds and allows investment into a bigger engine production line, and with it a route to higher launch cadence
Engineering support: $250m over 3 yrs, c.$83m/yr
> ASTS gets: Firefly engineers through to first flight. Scope isn't disclosed, but $83m/yr pays for a couple of hundred engineers, more than an engine needs. Likely covers the engine line and some of the wider vehicle design, maybe the pad too
> FLY gets: c.$83m/yr for engineers it needs for Eclipse anyway
No other engine of this class is available to license (SpaceX, Blue Origin and RKLB all probably wouldn't give away a licence), and I doubt FLY licenses Miranda again. Hence the c.4x.
Wouldn't be surprised if there's also a non-compete keeping ASTS out of FLY's other markets, e.g. launching lunar landers and earth observation satellites into orbit. Costs ASTS nothing to give and is prudent for FLY to obtain.
David G. retweeted
More momentum for the Moon Base! NASA has awarded six new launch and in-space transportation task orders to American companies, advancing the capabilities for future missions supporting Moon Base such as CAPSTONE 02, LCRNS, and MoonFall.
David G. retweeted
$FLY another catalyst for FIREFLY on this weekend to push forward the PPS to higher heights!!! Congratulations to FIREFLY shareholders...
youtube.com/live/MRg4uIpJ3xE…
You are an absolute moron if you do not see what $ASTS and NASA sees in $FLY Firefly Aerospaace while $FLY is only $20ish. Be rich or be stupid. But..but...but
.but! Monday is your last chance
$FLY IS ON NASA’S CLPS 2.0 LIST
Today, Firefly Aerospace announced that it has been selected as a vendor under NASA’s $10 billion CLPS 2.0 contract. The company will be able to bid on lunar missions over a 10-year period. The selection is based on the performance of Blue Ghost Mission 1, which successfully landed on the Moon in March 2025 and completed all of its objectives. Firefly aims to scale up its current lander and increase production capacity to deliver heavier payloads and infrastructure.
This is not financial advice.
David G. retweeted
$FLY IS ON NASA’S CLPS 2.0 LIST
Today, Firefly Aerospace announced that it has been selected as a vendor under NASA’s $10 billion CLPS 2.0 contract. The company will be able to bid on lunar missions over a 10-year period. The selection is based on the performance of Blue Ghost Mission 1, which successfully landed on the Moon in March 2025 and completed all of its objectives. Firefly aims to scale up its current lander and increase production capacity to deliver heavier payloads and infrastructure.
This is not financial advice.
David G. retweeted
Let the good times roll...to the Moon!
Firefly was selected as a vendor for NASA's $10 billion Commercial Lunar Payload Services 2 initiative, enabling us to bid on larger, more complex lunar missions in support of the agency's Moon Base program.
In this next phase, we’ll scale up our flight-proven Blue Ghost lander to deliver heavier cargo and science payloads to the Moon, a big step towards reaching the common goal of establishing a permanent presence on the lunar surface.
We’re excited to continue working alongside @NASA for the next era of lunar exploration.
fireflyspace.com/news/firefl…
Let's win all these moon contracts Firefly Aerospace $FLY !
David G. retweeted
BREAKING:
Trump’s administration is considering a plan to deploy five satellites around the Moon by 2029 to monitor activity in lunar space.
David G. retweeted
🚨 WOW! DANA WHITE offered the role of WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY by President Trump
🔥🔥🔥
"I am pleased to announce that the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States. I have requested that he bring with him assistants, even though some are not from our Country, of Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harris."
"We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left. Dana will be a Press Secretary like none other. Dana, please take the job! President DONALD J. TRUMP"
Cue the meltdowns.
The day after Stephen Miller is appointed COS! I did NOT see this coming!
David G. retweeted
JUST IN: The U.S. Space Force is considering a new military role for satellites operating unusually close to Earth, including the ability to rapidly replace spacecraft following nuclear attacks or major orbital debris events.
Space Force Deputy Chief Science Officer Gillian Bussey warned that China gaining this capability before the U.S. could create an unacceptable strategic imbalance.
The military is also evaluating VLEO satellites for higher-resolution surveillance, faster communications and potential Golden Dome applications.
BREAKING: DARPA has awarded Redwire $RDW a $20 million contract to advance experimental military satellites designed to operate unusually close to Earth.
The newly disclosed award will fund testing of a scaled version of Redwire’s SabreSat spacecraft ahead of a demonstration in very low Earth orbit, or VLEO.
The Pentagon is exploring air-breathing electric propulsion, which would allow future satellites to collect atmospheric gases and use them as propellant to counter the drag encountered at extremely low orbital altitudes.
The technology could enable military satellites to operate roughly 90–250 kilometers above Earth, potentially delivering sharper surveillance imagery and lower-latency communications.
The new funding follows a separate $44 million DARPA contract awarded to Redwire in November 2025 for its Otter demonstration program.
David G. retweeted
Interesting
BREAKING: Google’s parent Alphabet added another 3.85 million shares of SpaceX in Q3, its latest SEC filing shows.
Alphabet held 555 million shares worth $83.7 billion as of Sept. 30. SpaceX alone made up nearly 95% of its reported stock portfolio.
Google first put $900 million into SpaceX in January 2015. By the end of Q3, the stake was worth about 93 times Google’s original investment.
David G. retweeted
Washington State
MOUNT ST. HELENS
Nov. 6, 2026
The video starts with an unseasonably clear view of Mount St. Helens with a fresh coat of snow, then pans to the east and zooms in on several mountain goats standing on the roof of the Johnston Ridge Observatory.
Credit: H. Weiss-Racine USGS
---
Note: I live 45 minutes by car due West from Mount St. Helens.
Post by USGS Volcanoes + WATCH:
Come for the view, stay for the goats...
Since the SR 504 bridge was destroyed by a landslide in May of 2023, the U.S. Forest Service Johnstone Ridge Observatory (JRO) at Mount St. Helens has been inaccessible to vehicles. Although people can access the area by hiking trail, no drive-up access has resulted in very low human visitation. But, mountain goats are another story.
The 1980 eruption killed the few resident mountain goats around Mount St. Helens. However, 46 years later, the blasted rocky hillsides are full of shrubs and wildflowers, creating the perfect mountain goat habitat, and the population is thriving. Scientists were recently up at JRO and were startled to see five goats watching them from the roof of the building. Don't worry, mountain goats are very good at balancing on high ledges.
Cascades Volcano Observatory Weekly Update for November 6, 2026: All Cascade volcanoes were at normal background levels of activity for the last week. Over the past week, small earthquakes were detected at Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Three Sisters. Field crews performed maintenance at Mount St. Helens.
📹: The video starts with an unseasonably clear view of Mount St. Helens with a fresh coat of snow, then pans to the east and zooms in on several mountain goats standing on the roof of the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Credit: H. Weiss-Racine USGS
David G. retweeted
Stoke Space is looking to expand its presence on the Space Coast for its Nova rockets.
nasaspaceflight.com/2026/11/…
David G. retweeted
This Friday will be historic, the first @SpaceX Starship catch attempt! 🚀 I’ll be going to Starbase with some of the @Starcloud_ team.
Come!
This is a good one if you ever wanted to see a Starship launch (and catch!)
Starship is preparing for catch
Flight 15 is targeting to launch as early as Friday, November 13, pending regulatory approval → spacex.com/launches/starship…
David G. retweeted
Wallops Update for Nov 7
At LC-3 the thrust structure that was delivered last week with Neutrons’ second stage is on the launch pad for umbilical and fluid checkout. This is the first time a piece of flight hardware is sitting on the launch pad. The structure still has the covering that protected it during shipping on. But the umbilicals are definitely connected to the launch pad.
The second stage test stand now has some shielding covering some of the sides. Once testing with the thrush structure is complete the stand and the second stage will be placed on the pad for a static firing.
Over at Pad 0A two new and taller lighting towers have been installed. The taller towers were needed to accommodate Antares 300 and Eclipse’s taller height than the Antares 200.
No visible work is being done at LC-2.
📸: me for @LaunchHeavenX
$RKLB @NASAWallops
David G. retweeted
I'm am sure most $ASTS shareholders are unaware that the engines they just bought from Firefly Aerospace $FLY will also be used on Northrop Grumman $NOC (PRIME Defense contractor) Antares 330 rockets at Wallops. northropgrumman.com/what-we-…
Wallops Update for Nov 7
At LC-3 the thrust structure that was delivered last week with Neutrons’ second stage is on the launch pad for umbilical and fluid checkout. This is the first time a piece of flight hardware is sitting on the launch pad. The structure still has the covering that protected it during shipping on. But the umbilicals are definitely connected to the launch pad.
The second stage test stand now has some shielding covering some of the sides. Once testing with the thrush structure is complete the stand and the second stage will be placed on the pad for a static firing.
Over at Pad 0A two new and taller lighting towers have been installed. The taller towers were needed to accommodate Antares 300 and Eclipse’s taller height than the Antares 200.
No visible work is being done at LC-2.
📸: me for @LaunchHeavenX
$RKLB @NASAWallops
I'm am sure most $ASTS shareholders are unaware that the engines they just bought from Firefly Aerospace $FLY will also be used on Northrop Grumman $NOC (PRIME Defense contractor) Antares 330 rockets at Wallops. northropgrumman.com/what-we-…
Wallops Update for Nov 7
At LC-3 the thrust structure that was delivered last week with Neutrons’ second stage is on the launch pad for umbilical and fluid checkout. This is the first time a piece of flight hardware is sitting on the launch pad. The structure still has the covering that protected it during shipping on. But the umbilicals are definitely connected to the launch pad.
The second stage test stand now has some shielding covering some of the sides. Once testing with the thrush structure is complete the stand and the second stage will be placed on the pad for a static firing.
Over at Pad 0A two new and taller lighting towers have been installed. The taller towers were needed to accommodate Antares 300 and Eclipse’s taller height than the Antares 200.
No visible work is being done at LC-2.
📸: me for @LaunchHeavenX
$RKLB @NASAWallops