Ligado has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware, citing the US Department of Defense’s continued claims that Ligado’s satellite-based mobile communications technology could interfere with military technologies as a primary factor. This is the second time Ligado has gone bust, with the first happening back in 2012, when it was still called LightSquared. Direct-to-device startup AST SpaceMobile has stepped in, seeing an opportunity and striking a deal to get access to Ligado’s spectrum. The terms concern 80-year access to 40 MHz of MSS (Mobile Satellite Services) spectrum in the L-Band for the US and Canada, as well as the 1,670 MHz to 1,675 MHz band in the US. This spectrum deal will be contentious. At its heart is…