- Commercial satellite companies were selected for the Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD program, supporting the U.S. Golden Dome homeland defence strategy
- AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) and MDA Space (TSX:MDA) can now compete for future SHIELD task orders, covering research, development, and operational support
- The awards reflect growing U.S. reliance on dual‑use commercial space systems for resilient communications, sensing, and defence integration
- AST SpaceMobile stock (NASDAQ:ASTS) last traded at C$153.83 and MDA Space stock (TSX:MDA) last traded at C$37.22
AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) has been selected for a prime contract position under the U.S. Missile Defence Agency’s Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) program, marking the company’s entry into a major U.S. missile defence modernization initiative.
The SHIELD program operates under an indefinite‑delivery, indefinite‑quantity (IDIQ) framework designed to accelerate the development and deployment of new defence capabilities across multiple operational domains, including air, missile, space, cyber, and hybrid threat environments. As part of the multi‑award structure, AST SpaceMobile is now eligible to compete for future task orders covering research, development, engineering, prototyping, and operational support for Missile Defence Agency (MDA) systems.
SHIELD is a core component of the broader U.S. “Golden Dome” strategy, which seeks to establish a resilient, layered homeland defence architecture. The initiative aims to integrate sensors, command and control networks, and engagement systems to address a wide range of advanced threats, including hypersonic weapons, maneuvering reentry vehicles, and complex coordinated attacks.
Company representatives characterized the award as validation of AST SpaceMobile’s satellite technology, which is designed for both commercial and government use. The firm is developing a low Earth orbit satellite constellation intended to deliver direct‑to‑device cellular broadband connectivity to standard smartphones. In parallel, the architecture is positioned to support defence and government users requiring resilient communications and sensing capabilities in contested or degraded environments.
According to the company, its constellation approach aligns with the Missile Defence Agency’s move toward more distributed and survivable space‑based systems. Such architectures are intended to maintain command and control, battle management, and sensing functions even under sustained attack, reducing dependence on single‑layer or fixed ground‑based assets that may be vulnerable to disruption.
AST SpaceMobile’s participation in SHIELD reflects a broader shift within the U.S. defence establishment toward integrating commercial space infrastructure into national security systems. Low Earth orbit constellations developed by private companies are increasingly viewed as a means to provide resilient beyond‑line‑of‑sight communications, distributed sensing, and data transport that can support both civil and military missions.
The contract award also underscores continued U.S. policy emphasis on leveraging private‑sector innovation to support defence objectives. Current strategic guidance calls for closer collaboration between the government and commercial space companies to strengthen national security, maintain technological leadership, and ensure economic competitiveness in orbit and across connected domains.
AST SpaceMobile is not the only commercial space company participating in the SHIELD framework. MDA Space (TSX:MDA), a mission partner to the global space industry, has also announced it has received an IDIQ contract award from the Missile Defence Agency for the SHIELD program. The contract positions MDA Space to compete for future tasks and services supporting the expansive initiative, which spans work across land, sea, air, cyberspace, and space to strengthen U.S. defensive capabilities.
Together, the inclusion of firms such as AST SpaceMobile and MDA Space highlights the Missile Defence Agency’s growing reliance on commercial technologies and partnerships as it seeks to adapt U.S. defence systems to an evolving threat environment. Under the SHIELD program, participating companies are expected to contribute to a more flexible, scalable, and integrated defence architecture capable of responding to emerging challenges while leveraging innovations originally developed for commercial markets.
It is also worth mentioning that AST is under investigation from several law firms in the U.S. over potential securities violations after it was revealed that AST’s launch of its BlueBird 6 was delayed. Following this news, Scotiabank downgraded AST to sell, citing, among other things, significant competition from SpaceX’s Starlink, slow customer adoption, and delays in launching AST’s satellites. Following the downgrade, AST’s stock price fell US$11.76 per share, or 12.06 per cent, to close at US$85.73 per share on January 7, 2026. The company announced the launch timing on Thursday for its BlueBird 7 mission for late February from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
AST SpaceMobile Inc. designs and develops the constellation of BlueBird satellites in the United States.
AST SpaceMobile stock (NASDAQ:ASTS) last traded at C$153.83 and has risen 422.73 per cent since this time last year.
MDA Space Ltd. is a go-to name for robotics, satellite systems, and geointelligence in the global space industry, with a pioneering track record spanning over 450 missions.
MDA Space stock (TSX:MDA) last traded at C$37.22 and has risen 31.43 per cent since this time last year.
Join the discussion: Find out what everybody’s saying about these satellite stocks on the Telesat and MDA Space Bullboards, then check out the rest of Stockhouse’s stock forums and message boards.
Stockhouse does not provide investment advice or recommendations. All investment decisions should be made based on your own research and consultation with a registered investment professional. The issuer is solely responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein. For full disclaimer information, please click here.