Amazon’s Rumored Globalstar Bet To Take On SpaceX Sent These 2 Satellite Stocks Higher Too

• IRDM rose 9% after-hours, while VSAT gained over 3% after a report said Amazon is in talks to acquire Globalstar.
• GSAT surged 15% in extended trading after the report and had a market cap of $8.81 billion as of the last close.
• The talks come as Amazon scales its Project Kuiper satellite network, with over 200 satellites launched.

Shares of Iridium Communications (IRDM) and Viasat (VSAT) jumped in extended trading on Wednesday after a report said Amazon is in talks to acquire Globalstar (GSAT) as part of its effort to expand low-Earth-orbit satellite connectivity and compete with SpaceX.

IRDM stock rose 9% after-hours on Wednesday, while VSAT gained more than 3%. However, shares of both companies trimmed their gains during overnight trading heading into Thursday.

GSAT shares surged 15% in extended trading following the Financial Times report, citing people familiar with the matter. The company had a market capitalization of about $8.81 billion as of the last close.

Apple Tie-Up Adds Twist To Amazon Talks

Amazon and Globalstar are still supposedly negotiating the complexities of a potential transaction after lengthy discussions, according to the report. One complication involves Apple, which holds about a 20% stake in Globalstar after investing $1.5 billion in 2024 to support infrastructure for emergency messaging when cellular coverage is unavailable. 

In October, Globalstar had also reportedly explored a potential sale and held early discussions with SpaceX among other possible suitors.

Globalstar Deal Emerges Amid Kuiper-Starlink Race

The rumored talks come as Amazon deploys its low-Earth-orbit satellite network, formerly known as Project Kuiper, involving thousands of satellites to provide broadband connectivity globally. The company has launched over 200 satellites so far and is targeting a constellation of more than 7,700 satellites.

Amazon’s network is the closest rival to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite system, which operates a constellation of over 9,500 satellites and serves more than nine million users globally. Starlink is estimated to generate 50% to 80% of SpaceX’s revenue, including services provided to governments and national security agencies through its Starshield variant.

The reported deal comes hours after SpaceX confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering that could become one of the largest listings on record, with a potential valuation of about $1.75 trillion.

Meanwhile, Globalstar operates low-Earth-orbit communication satellites providing voice, data, and asset-tracking services across enterprise, government and consumer markets and had nearly 800,000 mobile satellite service subscribers as of the end of 2025.

Iridium, Viasat Build Out Satellite Coverage

Iridium operates a global mobile satellite network delivering voice, data and positioning, navigation and timing services across aviation, maritime, government, emergency services and remote infrastructure markets. 

Earlier this year, Iridium introduced the Iridium 9604, a compact module that combines satellite connectivity, cellular network support and GPS positioning into a single device, allowing equipment to stay connected even in areas where traditional mobile networks are unavailable.

On the other hand, Viasat operates global satellite communications networks across mobility, defense and connectivity markets and recently showed satellite-based voice calling for connected vehicles in areas without reliable cellular coverage. 

The company is also working with Space42 on the Equatys platform, a project expected to deploy thousands of satellites to improve global connectivity, and separately announced deployment of advanced ground antennas to expand satellite network coverage across South America, the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About IRDM And VSAT?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment was ‘bullish’ for both IRDM and VSAT, with message volume ‘extremely high’ for IRDM and ‘normal’ for VSAT.

Over the past year, IRDM is up about 7%, while VSAT has surged 360%.

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