WASHINGTON - AST SpaceMobile may add United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket to its launch menu, because when you're building a constellation of direct-to-device satellites, you can never have too many ways to get them off the ground.

In a May 11 earnings call, CEO Abel Avellan compared stacking satellites to packing tuna cans - a metaphor that will haunt seafood lovers forever. He explained that the company can fit three satellites on a Falcon 9 (stacked like canned fish), up to eight on Blue Origin's New Glenn, or up to five on Vulcan. No word yet on whether the tuna cans come with expiration dates.

Despite having contracts with both Blue Origin and SpaceX, AST SpaceMobile has not announced a deal with ULA. When pressed, Chief Strategy Officer Scott Wisniewski played coy, stating, “Our strategy has always been to have many launch providers, and I would put ULA in that category.” He also noted the company is developing “other heavy launch providers” and will have updates “as appropriate” - which is corporate speak for “stay tuned, but don't hold your breath.”

AST SpaceMobile still aims to have 45 satellites in orbit by year's end, despite losing its BlueBird 7 satellite on a New Glenn launch April 19 - a mishap involving a botched upper-stage burn that left the spacecraft stranded in a low orbit its electric propulsion couldn't fix. Wisniewski said the company has “contracted launch capacity” to hit the target, relying on “a handful of Blue Origin launches and a handful of SpaceX-equivalent launches.” He declined to define “SpaceX-equivalent,” leaving observers to guess whether that means Vulcan, a different rocket, or a very determined trebuchet.

With New Glenn grounded pending an investigation, the next AST launch is set for mid-June on a Falcon 9 carrying BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10. Wisniewski expressed optimism that New Glenn would return soon, noting that “an upper-stage anomaly like this is not uncommon early in programs” - which is a diplomatic way of saying “rookie mistake.” Blue Origin has not provided updates on its return-to-flight plans.

Vulcan, meanwhile, is also grounded after a solid rocket booster anomaly during a February Space Force mission. ULA says it's stacking the next Vulcan rocket anyway, because nothing says “ready for launch” like simultaneously investigating a problem and assembling the hardware. That next flight is for Amazon, which has 38 Vulcan launches booked - a backlog that may leave AST SpaceMobile waiting in line behind Jeff Bezos's internet dreams.