太空飞行既有乐观的规划，也有切实的计划。AST SpaceMobile 是一家总部位于得克萨斯州的上市公司，正在建造超大型卫星，旨在为地面提供直连手机的通信服务。但该公司一直难以找到发射入轨的运载工具。因此，该公司于周五宣布，正在研发一款名为“Blacklift”（黑升）的中型运载火箭，其近地轨道运载能力将达到 20 公吨。此外，公司表示计划于 2028 年底开始商业发射。
There are optimistic plans for spaceflight, and then there are plans. AST SpaceMobile is a Texas-based, publicly traded company building very large satellites to provide direct-to-cell communications on Earth. But it has been having trouble finding rides to space. So on Friday, AST announced that it is developing a medium-lift rocket, named Blacklift, which will have the capacity to lift 20 metric tons to low-Earth orbit. Oh, and the company said it would start launching commercially in late 2028.
AST SpaceMobile 创始人、董事长兼首席执行官阿贝尔·阿韦兰在新闻稿中表示：“‘Blacklift’ 火箭是大幅拓展我们可触达总市场的跳板，将为 AST SpaceMobile 提供常态化、无约束的入轨通道，并实现行业内最有利的所有者经济效益。”
"The Blacklift rocket is the springboard to significantly expand our total addressable market, providing AST SpaceMobile with regular unconstrained access to orbit and providing for most favorable owner's economics in the industry," said Abel Avellan, founder, chairman, and CEO of AST SpaceMobile, in a news release.