Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) and Rocket Lab (RKLB) slipped in overnight trading heading into Friday, pressured by reports that SpaceX is pulling back on future Falcon 9 launch availability.
ASTS fell roughly 1% while RKLB dropped approximately 0.3%, though both stocks remained positive on the week, with ASTS up 2% and RKLB gaining 4%.
SpaceX has reportedly begun turning away customers seeking dedicated Falcon 9 launches beyond 2028 and is no longer accepting future reservations for its Falcon 9 rideshare program.
The rideshare program allows multiple satellite operators to share a single launch, making it a critical and cost-effective option for smaller commercial space companies.
SpaceX has also reportedly halted production of some expendable Falcon hardware, including upper-stage components, signaling a deeper internal shift toward developing its Starship vehicle, Bloomberg reported.
The plans could still change if Starship encounters further development setbacks, and Falcon 9 is expected to continue supporting certain NASA and U.S. Department of Defense missions.
The report arrives as Starship remains behind schedule, with repeated testing delays contributing to a selloff that has pushed SpaceX shares below their $135 IPO price.
AST SpaceMobile recently announced that BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 had fully deployed, while satellites 11 through 13 are already at Cape Canaveral and production has advanced through satellite 42.
AST also raised $1.15 billion through convertible notes to fund growth and secure launch capacity, which remains critical given SpaceX has launched most of AST’s fleet and is expected to carry its next batch.
That relationship carries added tension because Starlink directly competes with AST SpaceMobile in the direct-to-cell satellite services market.
Rocket Lab, meanwhile, could emerge as a beneficiary if Falcon 9 availability continues to tighten, as its reusable Neutron rocket recently completed a key engine test and could attract customers seeking launch alternatives.
Retail traders on Stocktwits were vocal about the sector-wide frustration, with sentiment tracking as “bearish” for ASTS and SPCX and “bullish” for RKLB amid normal message volume.
“The SpaceX IPO has ruined the whole Space Sector,” one trader wrote, while another user said, “Delist SPCX. Ruined the sector.”
A separate trader compared the current environment with Rocket Lab’s earlier slump around $4 to $5, saying space stocks were back in the market’s “naughty corner,” where positive company news was failing to lift share prices.
Another user argued that SpaceX was “dragging all space stocks downwards,” while still expressing confidence that the broader sector would eventually recover.
Some retail investors framed the weakness as a temporary capital rotation rather than a structural breakdown in the space sector’s investment thesis.
One investor said “a LOT of money just left SpaceX” and suggested ASTS, RKLB, and other space names had been caught in the same broader move out of the sector.
Another user pointed to the window between SpaceX’s expected August 7 share unlock and AST SpaceMobile’s August 17 earnings report as a potential “great switcheroo” for capital flows.
Over the past year, ASTS has gained 0.4% while RKLB has climbed 42%, reflecting the diverging trajectories within the commercial space investment landscape.
