Space stocks endured a bruising week, with Redwire (RDW) posting the smallest decline while Rocket Lab (RKLB) and Firefly Aerospace (FLY) each fell the hardest.
SpaceX’s fund proxy (SPCX) dropped 9% over the past week, while AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) fell 13% and both RKLB and FLY each slid 19% during the same period.
Redwire (RDW) lost just 6.99%, making it the most resilient name among the five widely tracked space stocks despite the broader sector weakness.
SpaceX entered the week with regulatory momentum after the FCC authorized a 15,000-satellite direct-to-device constellation and Grain Management agreed to sell its 800 MHz spectrum portfolio to SpaceX for a reported $8 billion.
Ukraine then raised concerns that restrictions on SpaceX’s satellite service had disrupted drone operations, adding political pressure to the company’s expansion narrative.
Elon Musk responded by saying the U.S. government controlled military Starshield usage limits, and Britain’s defense minister confirmed he and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomed the restoration of Starlink service.
Barclays added another dimension by suggesting a Tesla-SpaceX merger announcement could come before Tesla’s December 6 annual meeting, with the latest flying Roadster reveal underscoring the engineering ties between the two companies.
Rocket Lab’s selloff deepened after the company disclosed that its Neutron rocket’s first flight had slipped from the fourth quarter of 2026 to 2027, with air pockets found in a carbon-composite dome for the first-stage propellant tank driving the delay.
Shares fell 7% to $55.25 on Thursday, extending a losing streak to seven sessions, though ARK Investment Management stepped in to buy 168,633 shares across three ETFs worth approximately $9.32 million at Thursday’s close.
AST SpaceMobile drew opposing analyst views, with Deutsche Bank upgrading the stock to “Buy” from “Hold” and maintaining a $93 price target, calling the selloff a buying opportunity for long-term investors.
Piper Sandler moved in the opposite direction, cutting ASTS to “Neutral” from “Overweight” and slashing its target to $54 from $98, citing launch-schedule uncertainty and rising competitive risks from SpaceX.
Clear Street held its “Buy” rating with a $115 target, arguing that ASTS remained six months ahead of SpaceX in direct-to-cell service and that both companies face real launch execution risks.
Redwire’s relative strength came alongside a busy week of announcements, including confirmation that the final pair of its Roll-Out Solar Array wings would launch to the International Space Station aboard NASA’s SpaceX CRS-35 cargo mission.
The full eight-wing system is expected to deliver more than 160 kilowatts of power once deployed, with six wings already active on the station.
Redwire also announced roughly $13.8 million in additional Stalker drone orders for the National Guard on Thursday, supporting training for the Army’s new Tactical UAS Specialist role.
Piper Sandler initiated coverage of Redwire at “Neutral” with an $11 price target, stating it wants more evidence that the company’s products can compete successfully across both space and defense markets.
Firefly Aerospace had a quieter week, scheduling its third-quarter results for November 10 after market close, while satellite consultant Tim Farrar suggested AST SpaceMobile could consider “a launch company (e.g. Firefly)” as an acquisition target in a smaller deal.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment shifted negatively across most names, with ASTS slipping to “bullish” from “extremely bullish,” SPCX falling to “bearish” from “bullish,” and RDW easing to “neutral” from “bullish” during the week.
RKLB retail sentiment bucked the trend, improving to “bullish” from “neutral,” reflecting bargain-hunting interest despite shares being down 21% year-to-date amid elevated message volume on the platform.
