Space Stocks Are Roaring Back In August — Here’s Why ASTS, RKLB, RDW And Their Peers Are Leaving SpaceX Behind

SpaceX’s lockup expiration threatens to more than double its public float.

• ASTS launched three next-generation BlueBird satellites capable of delivering speeds approaching 200 Mbps directly to ordinary smartphones.
• RKLB secured a $397 million Space Force award after winning a separate contract worth up to $266 million last month.
• RDW reported record Q2 revenue and backlog, while VOYG raised its 2026 revenue forecast after record bookings and revenue.

Space stocks are roaring back from July’s rout, with satellite launches, defense contracts, earnings beats and fresh lunar milestones putting nearly every major name tracked by retail investors on course to end the first week of August in the green.

Voyager Technologies (VOYG) led with a 54% return, followed by Redwire (RDW) at 38%, AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) at 29% and Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 28%. Firefly Aerospace (FLY), Intuitive Machines (LUNR), Spire Global (SPIR), BlackSky (BKSY), Virgin Galactic (SPCE), Viasat (VSAT) and Planet Labs (PL) also posted double-digit gains.

SpaceX (SPCX) was the lone decliner, falling 4% over five sessions as its first post-IPO lockup expiration overshadowed strong quarterly growth and CEO Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar ambitions.

Launches And Contracts Fuel Space Stocks 

ASTS helped power the rebound on Wednesday by launching BlueBird satellites 11, 12 and 13 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. More than three times the size of its initial Block 1 spacecraft, the satellites are expected to deliver speeds approaching 200 Mbps directly to ordinary smartphones, which is nearly double Block 1’s record.

BlueBirds 14 through 16 are already preparing for launch, while production has advanced through satellite 42. AST, which recently explored WhatsApp and Meta AI connectivity with Meta, has nearly 60 carrier partners representing more than 3 billion subscribers and over $1.2 billion in contracted commitments.

Meanwhile, Rocket Lab’s gains were fueled by a $397 million Space Force contract announced on Tuesday to build, launch and operate threat-tracking “Flatellites” aboard Neutron. This followed an award worth up to $266 million for 12 suborbital launches last month, with options for six more. The company also added three iQPS Electron missions beginning in late 2027, raising the customer’s total bookings to 18.

Earnings added further momentum to space stocks. Redwire reported record second-quarter (Q2) revenue of $117.1 million, beating the $107.7 million consensus, while gross margin improved to 27.8% from negative 30.9%. Backlog hit a record $542.1 million, and the company reaffirmed its 2026 revenue outlook of $450 million to $500 million.

Additionally, Voyager reported record revenue of $52.7 million, bookings of $113 million, and backlog of $336 million. “Demand continues to build faster than what we’re converting into revenue,” CEO Dylan Taylor said. The company raised its 2026 revenue forecast to $275 million–$305 million, well above the $240.8 million consensus. Golden Dome programs contributed $84 million in quarterly bookings, while Voyager’s Astrobotic acquisition expanded its lunar footprint and is expected to add $40 million–$50 million in revenue during the remainder of 2026.

SpaceX Hits A Lockup Wall

SpaceX’s strong Q2 results failed to ease concerns about a looming wave of insider selling. Revenue surged 92% to $7.8 billion, while Starlink subscribers nearly doubled to 12 million. Musk projected $100 billion in annualized revenue by the end of 2026 and said annual revenue could reach $1 trillion by 2030.

Still, SpaceX shares plunged 14% on Wednesday to $108.27, about 20% below their $135 June IPO price and 49% beneath their post-listing peak. The selloff came ahead of Thursday’s first employee and early-investor lockup expiration. As many as 912 million of SpaceX’s 13.6 billion shares could become eligible for sale, more than doubling the current public float and creating a huge near-term supply overhang.

NASA Lifts Lunar Trade

NASA added to the sector’s momentum Tuesday by outlining progress toward a Moon Base near the lunar south pole, with more than 20 robotic landings planned through 2029 to test technology and establish infrastructure before astronauts arrive.

Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 2 is targeting the first American landing on the Moon’s far side, Intuitive Machines is assembling its third Nova-C lander for IM-3, and Voyager’s Griffin-1 is undergoing NASA testing ahead of a planned late-2026 launch.

Blue Origin provided another boost Wednesday by tracing May’s New Glenn explosion to a BE-4 engine oxygen valve. CEO Dave Limp said on X that small modifications can be retrofitted to existing engines, giving the company a path toward returning New Glenn to flight by year-end.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About Space Stocks?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment was ‘extremely bullish’ for RDW and VOYG, with both attracting ‘extremely high’ message volume. ASTS and RKLB drew ‘bullish’ sentiment amid ‘high’ and ‘normal’ message volume, respectively. 

By contrast, sentiment was ‘bearish’ for SPCX amid ‘extremely high’ activity and for FLY amid ‘low’ message volume. 

Over the past year, RKLB jumped 67%, ASTS gained 30%, LUNR climbed 22% and VOYG edged up 2%, while RDW fell 27%, SPCX dropped 33% and FLY sank 62%. 

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