As SpaceX IPO Speculation Builds, Is This New Space Stock Worth Watching?

Starfighters Space debuted on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on December 18 under the ticker symbol ‘FJET’.

• The company is a Florida-based aerospace firm that owns and operates commercial supersonic aircraft out of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. 
• Shares of FJET began trading at $10 on Thursday, representing a 180% upside from its public offering price of $3.59.
• Starfighters Space is the only commercial company in the world to fly at a sustained Mach 2 capability, the company said.

Shares of Starfighters Space, Inc. (FJET) surged over 9% in Friday’s early trade, drawing heavy retail attention on Stocktwits. The stock made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on December 18, becoming one of the few publicly traded pure-play space companies.

The company’s public listing comes at a time when investors are eagerly eyeing SpaceX’s initial public offering (IPO), even as the White House moves to reshape U.S. space policy.

Shares began trading at $10 on Thursday, representing about 180% upside above its public offering price of $3.59, and it extended its gains into Friday session.

Starfighters Space is a Florida-based aerospace company that owns and operates a fleet of commercial supersonic aircraft out of NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Space Pure-Play

Starfighters operates a fleet of modified supersonic F-104 aircraft expected to be capable of sub-orbital launches for small satellites and payloads. The company privately owns a fleet of seven F-104 one-and two-seat aircraft.

The aerospace firm is also the only commercial company in the world to fly at a sustained Mach 2 capability, meaning its jets can travel at twice the speed of sound. Starfighters raised $40 million at the time of listing to invest in research and development and scaling of its STARLAUNCH I and STARLAUNCH II programs that will support the sub-orbital launches of its F-104 supersonic aircraft.

While small satellite launches are its primary source of revenue, Starfighters also provides hypersonic R&D development for a range of clients. Its customers include Lockheed Martin, GE, Innoveering, Meggitt, Space Florida, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.

Starfighters Space’s listing makes it the first space company to transition from a Regulation A Tier 2 offering to listing on the NYSE, according to Rick Svetkoff, the company’s CEO, Founder, and a former U.S. Navy pilot.

“Over the past several decades, space and satellite technology has become the invisible foundation of our digital world, and we believe our successful listing signals a proven belief in the value of this industry and the appetite from investors for forward-thinking companies like ours capable of pushing the boundaries of what is possible in low earth orbit,” Svetkoff added.

Market Interest

Starfighters’ public debut comes amid heightened retail interest in the space sector, fueled partly by speculations around Elon Musk’s SpaceX IPO, reportedly scheduled for 2026, as well as positive space policy updates from the White House.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump greenlit a space policy that encourages lunar exploration and the expansion of commercial participation. The directive also supports commercial launch services, focusing on enhancing the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of space missions.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around FJET stock was in ‘extremely bullish’ territory at the time of writing, and message volume was at ‘extremely high’ levels. The company was among the top trending stocks on the platform at the time of writing.

One user called Starfighters’ debut “the birth of a giant,” likening it to companies like Tesla and Oracle. However, it is worth noting that Starfighters is still in the early stages of scaling its commercial operations.

Shares of Starfighters Space were up over 136% yesterday.

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