Space stocks delivered broad gains this week, with several publicly traded names outperforming SpaceX across multiple catalysts spanning launches, contracts, and financing milestones.
Voyager Technologies (VOYG) led the group with an 8% gain, matching Rocket Lab (RKLB), while AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) rose 5% and both Planet Labs (PL) and Intuitive Machines (LUNR) gained 3%.
SpaceX, tracked through SPCX, posted a comparatively modest 2% increase despite generating significant headlines around Starship and its mobile broadband ambitions.
Voyager Technologies delivered and integrated launch-critical hardware for the European Space Agency In-Flight Demonstrator under a contract with Avio, earning praise from executive Matt Magana.
Magana said the project demonstrated its ability to deliver “flight-ready systems” quickly and efficiently, reinforcing Voyager’s position as a capable hardware integrator for international space programs.
Voyager’s Starlab Space division and Swiss aviation partners also opened a global competition offering up to four teams funded access to the International Space Station, broadening its commercial reach.
VOYG recorded trading volume of 1.24 million shares on Thursday, slightly below its 1.7 million average, while retail sentiment on Stocktwits rose to bullish from neutral, and the stock has climbed over 38% this year.
SpaceX secured Federal Communications Commission authority to provide international telecommunications services supporting Starlink Mobile, with President Gwynne Shotwell reportedly saying the company could capture “quite a few” customers from major U.S. carriers.
SpaceX controls approximately 65 megahertz of nationwide mid-band spectrum following its $17 billion EchoStar deal and is targeting the first half of 2028 for a 5G-class Starlink Mobile product.
Starship Flight 14, now targeted for as early as September 28, is expected to deploy 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites in what would be Starship’s first revenue-generating flight.
ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood estimated that each fully loaded Starship could support about $1 billion in annual Starlink revenue, which applied to Elon Musk’s ambition of 10,000 annual flights produces a theoretical $10 trillion opportunity by 2030.
Rocket Lab raised $1.944 billion by selling 29.3 million shares and terminated the $3.6 billion bridge facility tied to its $8 billion acquisition of Iridium Communications.
The Iridium deal would add 66 operational satellites, 14 on-orbit spares, L-band spectrum, and 2.55 million subscribers to Rocket Lab’s existing launch and spacecraft businesses.
Rocket Lab also completed pre-flight testing of Neutron’s reusable Hungry Hippo fairing and installed a second-stage test stand at Launch Complex 3, though CEO Beck cautioned in August that “the window for an end-of-year launch is narrowing.”
The company holds a $266 million Space Force contract for 12 suborbital missile-defense launches and a separate $397 million contract to build military satellites, providing substantial defense revenue visibility.
AST SpaceMobile disclosed a patent covering heat pipes and a honeycomb-core design for its 2,400-square-foot Block 2 arrays, which target peak speeds approaching 200 megabits per second for ordinary smartphones.
The company has not yet announced shipment or launch dates for BlueBirds 14 through 16 despite previously indicating they were “ready to ship shortly,” and is targeting 45 satellites in orbit by early 2027.
AST retains a regulatory advantage after the FCC authorized service using spectrum controlled by partners including AT&T, Verizon, and FirstNet, with more than 60 carrier partners collectively serving three billion subscribers.
Intuitive Machines completed in-orbit testing and handed the SXM-11 communications satellite to SiriusXM, marking the 13th spacecraft produced through their relationship, and ended the second quarter with a $1.8 billion backlog.
Planet Labs secured a German government contract worth up to $29 million over five years for dedicated satellite capacity, imagery, and analytics, with more than 400 German federal institutions already using Planet data.
