Why Is AST SpaceMobile Stock Surging on Thursday?

AST SpaceMobile Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) shares moved higher Thursday, as space-related stocks gained following Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG), announcing Project Suncatcher, an initiative focused on deploying AI computing infrastructure in space. The project’s potential demand for low Earth orbit propulsion, connectivity, power delivery and other space technologies may be driving investor interest across the space sector, according to Benzinga Pro. The Nasdaq is down 0.17% while the S&P 500 has shed 0.11%. Read Also: S&P 500 Erases Losses as US, Iran Reportedly Discuss Hormuz Deal: Stock Market Today META Partnership Speculation Investors are also weighing renewed speculation about a potential partnership with Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META), which resurfaced on social media following Meta’s annual Meta Connect 2026 conference. Following the conference, discussion resurfaced on social media around a month-old LinkedIn post from Vinod Samarawickrama, described on LinkedIn as Meta’s Global Head of Quality of Experience, Network AI strategy and Satellite/Space partnerships. In the post, Samarawickrama wrote, “It was a pleasure hosting the AST SpaceMobile team at Meta (MPK Office) in San Francisco last week for an workshop focused on a shared vision: bringing WhatsApp over AST Satellite to users around the world.” Technical Analysis From a trend perspective, ASTS is trying to stabilize after a longer drawdown: it’s trading 3.2% above its 20-day SMA ($60.85) and just 0.2% above its 50-day SMA ($62.69), but it remains 15.5% below its 100-day SMA ($74.31) and 23% below its 200-day SMA ($81.59). That "short-term improving, long-term still damaged" setup is consistent with a rebound attempt inside a broader downtrend. RSI is the cleaner momentum read right now, sitting at 50.57, which signals neutral momentum rather than an overbought or oversold condition. The moving-average structure still leans bearish: the 20-day SMA is below the 50-day SMA, and the death cross that formed in July (50-day below the 200-day) remains a headwind for longer-term trend followers. Traders will often look for a sequence of higher lows and sustained closes back above the 50-day/shorter EMAs before treating rallies as more than counter-trend bounces. Key Resistance: $67 — a nearby round-number area where rebounds can stall, sitting above the current price and acting as a practical "next test" zone Key Support: $53 — a prior buyer-defense area that sits below the market and lines up as the nearest defined downside reference ASTS Stock Price Activity: AST SpaceMobile shares were up 4.68% at $62.78 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data. Read Also: Tesla FSD Drove Over the Limit in 55% of Brussels Tests Ahead of EU Approval Vote Image by PJ McDonnell via Shutterstock