US space stocks rally this week: SpaceX(SPCX.US) Starship's first revenue-generating flight is imminent, Voyager(VOYG.US) and Rocket Lab(RKLB.US) surge

According to Zhitong Finance APP, U.S. space stocks experienced multiple catalysts this week. SpaceX (SPCX.US) attracted market attention with its first revenue-generating Starship mission and a staggering $10 trillion bullish scenario, yet Rocket Lab (RKLB.US), AST SpaceMobile (ASTS.US), Intuitive Machines (LUNR.US), and Planet Labs PBC (PL.US) recorded even larger share price gains.

This week, Voyager Technologies (VOYG.US) led the popular space stocks with a rise of over 8%, closely followed by Rocket Lab with an increase of nearly 8%. AST SpaceMobile rose by 5%, Planet Labs and Intuitive Machines both climbed by 3%, while SpaceX was up by 2%.

Voyager Secures Another Infrastructure Order

On Monday, Voyager, under its contract with Avio, delivered and integrated key launch hardware for the European Space Agency's in-orbit demonstration and verification project. Voyager executive Matt Magana stated that the project showcased the company's capability for fast and efficient delivery of "flight-ready systems."

Last week, Voyager’s Starlab Space, in conjunction with Swiss aviation partners, launched a global competition to sponsor up to four teams for trips to the International Space Station. On Thursday, Voyager's trading volume was 1.24 million shares, slightly below its average volume of 1.7 million shares.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment toward Voyager has shifted from “neutral” a week ago to “bullish.” The stock has risen more than 38% year to date.

SpaceX’s Dual Advancements: First Revenue-Generating Starship Flight Imminent, Mobile Communications Win FCC Approval

SpaceX has received authorization from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide international telecom services supporting Starlink’s mobile offerings. This license allows the company to operate services between the United States and overseas markets. Currently, Starlink primarily covers U.S. mobile users via T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service, but SpaceX is considering direct mobile package sales.

Reportedly, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said the company expects to win over a “substantial number” of customers from major U.S. carriers. Following the $17 billion EchoStar deal, SpaceX now controls about 65 MHz of mid-band spectrum and plans to launch 5G-grade Starlink mobile products in the first half of 2028.

At the Goldman Sachs Communications Technology Conference earlier this month, SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen pointed out that blind-spot coverage and “global roaming” are key differentiators for Starlink mobile services.

Meanwhile, the fourteenth Starship flight mission is expected as early as September 28. This mission is anticipated to deploy 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites, marking Starship’s first revenue-generating flight. ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood estimates that a fully loaded Starship could generate about $1 billion in annual revenue for Starlink. Based on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s target of 10,000 Starship flights per year, Starship’s market potential could reach $10 trillion by 2030.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment toward SpaceX remained “neutral” over the past week. The stock is up just over 3% for the year.

Iridium Financing and Neutron Rocket Progress Lift Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab raised $1.944 billion by selling 29.3 million shares and terminated a $3.6 billion bridge loan intended to support its $8 billion acquisition of Iridium Communications (IRDM.US). Iridium Communications also amended its $1.775 billion term loan to remain effective after the deal’s completion.

The transaction will add Iridium’s 66 operational satellites, 14 on-orbit spares, L-band spectrum, and 2.55 million users to Rocket Lab’s launch and spacecraft business.

Additionally, Rocket Lab completed pre-flight tests for the “Hungry Hippo” fairing of its reusable Neutron rocket and installed a second-stage test stand at Launch Complex 3. The Neutron rocket still needs to complete integrated testing, wet dress rehearsals, and first-stage static fire. As SpaceX transitions future commercial transport missions from “Falcon 9” to “Starship,” the Neutron rocket is expected to benefit, but delays and a fuel tank rupture in January leave uncertainty about its first flight in 2026.

“The launch window before the end of the year is narrowing,” Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said in August. Rocket Lab’s defense business also attracted attention after U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed the U.S. possesses on-orbit space control weapons. The company holds U.S. Space Force contracts worth $266 million for 12 suborbital missile defense launches, as well as another $397 million contract for military satellite construction.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment towards Rocket Lab dropped from “bullish” a week ago to “bearish.” The stock has gained 41% over the past year.

AST Advances Satellite Technology, But Launch Concerns Mount

AST disclosed a patent covering heat pipe and honeycomb core designs for its 2,400-square-foot Block 2 array, which is aimed at delivering peak speeds near 200 Mbps to ordinary smartphones.

However, despite previous statements that BlueBird satellites 14 to 16 were “about to ship,” no shipment or launch dates have been announced to date. The latest news is that the BlueBird 14 satellite is complete, while BlueBird 15 and 16 are near completion. The company plans to have 45 satellites in orbit by early 2027.

Competitive pressure is increasing as well. SpaceX and AST are targeting the same market—directly connecting regular smartphones to satellites when ground networks are unavailable. However, their business models differ: SpaceX is pursuing vertical integration and may compete for end-users directly, while AST plans to remain a wholesale satellite provider for existing carriers. AST’s partners include AT&T, Verizon, FirstNet, Vodafone, Orange, and Rakuten, with a total of about 3 billion users across its 60 mobile network partners. Still, SpaceX’s consumer-facing plans could intensify the competition.

On the regulatory side, AST retains an advantage. In April of this year, the FCC authorized AST to use spectrum controlled by U.S. carrier partners AT&T, Verizon, and FirstNet to offer commercial satellite-to-mobile services, covering up to 248 satellites and permitting use of partner-controlled 700MHz and 800MHz spectrum under coordination. The FCC approved AST’s request despite opposition from SpaceX and T-Mobile.

Additionally, two AST executives proposed a combined sale of $3.06 million in shares, accounting for about 0.017% of the company’s outstanding stock.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment towards AST was “bearish” last week.

Intuitive and Planet Win New Orders

Intuitive Machines completed on-orbit testing and delivered the SXM-11 communications satellite to SiriusXM, marking the 13th spacecraft jointly produced by the two companies.

Prior to this delivery, the company received orders for two additional satellites and made progress on a communications project valued at over $600 million. At the end of Q2, Intuitive Machines had a backlog of $1.8 billion.

Meanwhile, Planet Labs signed a five-year contract valued at up to $29 million with the German government to provide dedicated satellite capacity, imagery, and analytical services, all hosted on European infrastructure. Over 400 German federal agencies are now using Planet’s data.

On Stocktwits, Planet’s retail sentiment dropped from “neutral” a week ago to “bearish,” with message volume down 56%; while Intuitive’s sentiment shifted from “bearish” to “bullish,” with a 202% surge in message volume over the same period.