SPACE INDEX COMPANIES INSIGHTS SECTORS PRODUCTS NEWS BLOG ANSWERS RESEARCH ABOUT FOR COMPANIES BUILD / 2026.06.04
AST SpaceMobile logo AST SpaceMobile Operates a space-based cellular broadband network delivering 4G and 5G connectivity directly to standard smartphones via LEO satellites vs Loft Orbital Operates a satellite-as-a-service platform that integrates, deploys, and operates customer payloads and AI applications on standardized LEO spacecraft Loft Orbital logo
HEAD-TO-HEAD1 shared sector
AST SpaceMobile Loft Orbital
Founded 2017 2017
Headquarters Midland, Texas San Francisco, California
Type public private
Status operating operating
Employees 613 256
Total funding $326.2M
Latest round Series C
Sectors Satellite Communications, Ground Segment & Networks, Satellite Manufacturing Satellite Manufacturing, Earth Observation & Remote Sensing, Space Software & Mission Tools
Products listed 5 5
Federal contracts
Launches
Leaders listed Abel Avellan, Scott Wisniewski, Andrew Johnson Pierre-Damien Vaujour, Alex Greenberg, Pieter van Duijn
News mentions 1 1
SHARED SECTORS
FREQUENTLY ASKED

How do AST SpaceMobile and Loft Orbital compare?

Both companies work in Satellite Manufacturing. AST SpaceMobile was founded in 2017 and Loft Orbital in 2017.

Which is larger, AST SpaceMobile or Loft Orbital?

AST SpaceMobile reports the larger workforce, with 613 employees versus 256.

Numbers refresh on every render against the live Space Index database. Federal contract data from USAspending.gov; launches from LaunchLibrary2.