New York, Jan 17, 2026, 08:15 EST — Market closed.
- Shares of AST SpaceMobile surged 14.3% Friday following the company’s announcement that it secured a prime contract on the Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD program. (Yahoo Finance)
- SHIELD, a $151 billion multi-award contract vehicle, opens the door for firms to bid on upcoming task orders but doesn’t promise any revenue. (U.S. Department of War)
- U.S. markets resume trading Tuesday following the Martin Luther King Jr. Day break; all eyes on potential SHIELD task order extensions and upcoming earnings reports. (Nasdaq)
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) shares ended Friday up 14.34%, closing at $115.77. The stock bounced between $106.30 and $120.80 during the session, with roughly 33.6 million shares changing hands, per Yahoo Finance.
The company’s decision came after it secured a prime contract spot on the Missile Defense Agency’s Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) program, a U.S. government procurement initiative linked to missile defense efforts. (Yahoo Finance)
Why it matters now: SHIELD opens a door for AST to enter the defense sector while pushing forward its commercial satellite goals. Investors have been quick to revalue smaller space and communications firms whenever there’s a hint of government interest. (Investors)
The SHIELD contract has a maximum value of $151 billion and is set up as a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity deal. This means the government defines the terms and selects a vendor pool, then competes and funds specific task orders as they come. The Defense Department noted that no money is committed at the base-award phase; funding is allocated only when orders are placed. (U.S. Department of War)
AST described the win as a key advance in expanding its government footprint. Chief Commercial Officer Chris Ivory called it a “major validation” of the company’s “on-orbit, dual-use technology” in a statement. (Business Wire)
The rally was fueled in part by investors shifting into space-related stocks Friday. Rocket Lab jumped after an analyst upgrade. At the same time, several other firms were added to the wider SHIELD vendor list. (Investors)
In regulatory filings unrelated to contracts, AST announced board changes. Hiroshi Mikitani stepped down from the board effective Jan. 13. Then, on Jan. 16, the board approved cutting its membership to 11 directors.
AST is developing a low-Earth-orbit satellite network aimed at linking directly to standard smartphones. This move places it amid a competitive landscape featuring SpaceX’s Starlink and several other satellite broadband projects. (Barron’s)
But there’s a catch with the defense angle: SHIELD selection doesn’t guarantee AST a funded program or any task orders. The stock’s recent surge leaves it vulnerable to setbacks, and a pause in contract awards could quickly put the rally to the test. (U.S. Department of War)
U.S. markets were closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so all eyes turn to Tuesday’s open. Traders want to see if AST can maintain the gains it made on Friday and whether there’s any fresh SHIELD task-order news. Investors are also gearing up for the company’s next earnings report, which Nasdaq data currently pegs for March 2 — though that date could still shift. (Nasdaq)
