ASTS

The announcement of AST SpaceMobile's partnership with Blue Origin for the launch of the next-generation Block 2 BlueBird satellite on the New Glenn-3 rocket in late February likely contributed to the stock price increase. This launch is a significant step toward AST SpaceMobile's goal of providing a space-based cellular network and could be seen as a validation of their satellite production and launch capabilities.

AST SpaceMobile's recent award of a contract under the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD program is another factor that could have positively influenced investor sentiment. This contract is part of AST SpaceMobile’s ongoing efforts to secure government contracts and explore potential revenue streams.