RKLB, ASTS, VOYG, LUNR Steal SpaceX’s Thunder — Here’s What Lit Up Space Stocks This Week

Rocket Lab raised $1.944 billion for its $8 billion Iridium acquisition, while advancing Neutron hardware testing in Virginia.

• SpaceX secured international telecom authority for Starlink Mobile and is targeting a 5G-class product in the first half of 2028.
• Starship Flight 14, now targeted for as early as Sept.28, could be its first revenue mission by deploying 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites.
• AST disclosed new tech for its Block 2 arrays, but investors still await shipment and launch dates for BlueBirds 14 through 16.

SpaceX (SPCX) drew attention with its first revenue-generating Starship mission and an extraordinary $10 trillion bull case, but Rocket Lab (RKLB), AST SpaceMobile (ASTS), Intuitive Machines (LUNR) and Planet Labs (PL) delivered stronger stock gains as several catalysts boosted the space sector.

Voyager Technologies (VOYG) led the popular space-stocks pack this week with an 8% gain, followed by RKLB, also up 8%. ASTS rose 5%, PL and LUNR gained 3%, compared with SpaceX’s 2% increase.

VOYG Scores Fresh Infrastructure Wins

On Monday, Voyager delivered and integrated launch-critical hardware for the European Space Agency In-Flight Demonstrator under a contract with Avio. Voyager executive Matt Magana said that the project showed its ability to deliver “flight-ready systems” quickly and efficiently. 

Last week, Voyager’s Starlab Space and Swiss aviation partners opened a global competition offering up to four teams funded access to the International Space Station. VOYG recorded trading volume of 1.24 million shares on Thursday, slightly below its average of 1.7 million.  

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for VOYG has risen to ‘bullish’ from ‘neutral’ a week ago. The stock has jumped over 38% this year.

SpaceX Goes Bigger On Starship And Mobile

SpaceX secured Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to provide international telecommunications services supporting Starlink Mobile. The approval permits services between the U.S. and overseas markets. Starlink currently reaches ordinary U.S. phones mainly through T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service, but SpaceX is considering selling mobile plans directly. 

President Gwynne Shotwell reportedly said the company could capture “quite a few” customers from major U.S. carriers. SpaceX controls about 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.

Meanwhile, Starship Flight 14 slipped to as early as Sept. 28. The mission is expected to deploy 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites, making it 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. Applied to CEO Elon Musk’s ambition of 10,000 annual flights, it produces a theoretical $10 trillion opportunity by 2030.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for SPCX has remained ‘neutral’ over the past week. The stock has risen a little over 3% this year.

Iridium Financing And Neutron Progress Lift RKLB

Rocket Lab raised $1.944 billion by selling 29.3 million shares and terminated the $3.6 billion bridge facility supporting its $8 billion acquisition of Iridium Communications. Iridium also amended its $1.775 billion term loan so it can remain in place after the takeover.

The deal would add Iridium’s 66 operational satellites, 14 on-orbit spares, L-band spectrum and 2.55 million subscribers to Rocket Lab’s 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. The rocket still must complete integrated testing, a wet dress rehearsal and a first-stage static fire. Neutron could benefit as SpaceX shifts future commercial traffic from Falcon 9 toward Starship, but a 2026 debut remains uncertain following delays and a January tank rupture.

“The window for an end-of-year launch is narrowing,” Beck said in August. Rocket Lab’s defense exposure also drew attention after Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed that the U.S. has “on-orbit space control weapons.” The company holds a $266 million Space Force contract for 12 suborbital missile-defense launches and a $397 million contract to build military satellites.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for RKLB fell to ‘bearish’ from ‘bullish’ over the past week amid a 54% decline in message volume over the same period. Shares have risen 41% in a year. 

ASTS Satellite Tech Advances As Launch Questions Grow 

AST 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.

However, AST has not announced shipment or launch dates for BlueBirds 14 through 16 despite previously saying they were “ready to ship shortly.” Its latest update said BlueBird 14 was complete, while BlueBirds 15 and 16 were nearing completion. The company 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. Its more than 60 carrier partners collectively serve three billion subscribers, although SpaceX’s direct-to-consumer ambitions could intensify competition. Separately, two AST executives proposed selling a combined $3.06 million in shares, representing about 0.017% of the company’s outstanding stock.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for ASTS has been ‘bearish’ over the past week amid a 5% dip in message volume. Shares have risen 52% this year. 

LUNR And PL Score Fresh Wins 

Intuitive Machines completed in-orbit testing and handed the SXM-11 communications satellite to SiriusXM, marking the 13th spacecraft produced through the companies’ relationship.

The delivery follows an order for two additional satellites and progress on a communications program potentially worth more than $600 million. Intuitive Machines ended the second quarter with a $1.8 billion backlog, reinforcing its effort to expand beyond lunar missions.

Meanwhile, Planet Labs secured a German government contract worth up to $29 million over five years for dedicated satellite capacity, imagery and analytics hosted on European infrastructure. More than 400 German federal institutions already use Planet data.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for PL slipped to ‘bearish’ from ‘neutral’ levels a week ago as message volumes fell 56%, while LUNR sentiment flipped to ‘bullish’ from ‘bearish’ levels amid a 202% surge in message volumes over the same period. 

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