SpaceX IPO Frenzy: 3 Space Stocks That Could Benefit Most
Space has become a big business and space stocks are riding that trend higher. They may not be as hot as artificial intelligence stocks were in 2024 and 2025, but that mania may only be a matter of time.
That's because SpaceX, Elon Musk’s apace company, is going public with an IPO date of sometime in June 2026. Retail and institutional investors are expected to have significant interest in this public offering. But buying shares around an IPO is tricky, and many retail investors have been caught on the wrong side of volatile price action.
A different way to profit from the SpaceX IPO is to invest in companies that serve as proxies for the company. Investors have many names to pick from. However, these three names stand out for different reasons. Each stock has also posted significant gains in 2026 that are expected to continue.
The Closest Thing to SpaceX You Can Buy Today
That may sound bold, but Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) is, perhaps, the most legitimate operational proxy for SpaceX. The company is the second most active launcher in the United States and the global leader among publicly traded space companies. In 2025, that translated to over $600 million in sales, a 39% year-over-year gain.
Rocket Lab’s business model mirrors SpaceX's ambitions at a smaller scale: launch services, satellite manufacturing, and in-orbit operations. Its backlog now exceeds $2 billion and is anchored by an $816 million Space Development Agency contract to build 18 satellites.
The catalyst coming in late 2026 is the company’s Neutron rocket, scheduled for its inaugural launch in Q4 2026. It's designed to go head-to-head with SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 in the medium-lift segment.
Investors seem to believe in the bull case. RKLB has soared over 300% in the last 12 months and over 20% in 2026. That said, the stock is currently trading above its consensus price target of $79.85 and may need a boost (no pun intended) to sustain a significant move higher.
A Direct-to-Device Bet That Doesn't Need SpaceX to Win
AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) occupies a unique position as it relates to SpaceX. The company competes with SpaceX's Starlink division, yet it still stands to benefit directly from the IPO. The SpaceX S-1 prospectus, due sometime in May, will put hard numbers on the satellite broadband market for the first time. Right now, ASTS is arguably the most direct public-market expression of that opportunity.
The company is building a space-based cellular network that connects standard smartphones to broadband internet without specialized hardware. Partnerships with AT&T (NYSE: T) and (Verizon NYSE: VZ) give it an enviable distribution that’s showing up on the top line.
Q4 2025 revenue came in at $54 million, beating estimates by nearly 29%, and analysts project full-year 2026 revenue could exceed $180 million on its way to over $785 million in 2027. The company is targeting 45 to 60 satellites in orbit by year-end.
That said, ASTS has already had a remarkable run, up more than 3,000% since its commercial pivot in mid-2024. That growth hasn’t come without volatility. But with $2.8 billion in cash, over $1.2 billion in contracted telecom commitments, and the SpaceX prospectus as a potential catalyst that could reframe how investors price satellite connectivity, it’s difficult to bet against the bull case.
A Micro-Cap Sleeper Playing Space Infrastructure's Long Game
Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) may look like an outlier compared to Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile, but that's part of the opportunity. With a market cap of just $43.72 million, this is a micro-cap space infrastructure company with revenue that reflects that market cap.
However, early-stage businesses aren’t expected to generate significant revenue. And for risk-tolerant investors, the time to invest in MNTS may be before the SpaceX IPO.
That’s because Momentus specializes in satellite technology, in-space transportation, and orbital services. These are the picks-and-shovels layer of the space economy. It’s boring, but vital as satellite constellations scale.
Its Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle successfully launched aboard SpaceX's Transporter-16 rideshare mission in late March 2026, hosting 10 government and commercial payloads for customers, including DARPA and SpaceWERX. Vigoride 8 is already scheduled to launch in early 2027. Adding to the bull case, Momentus holds active contracts with NASA, DARPA, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, and recently expanded into a 61,000-square-foot R&D and manufacturing facility in San Jose.
That said, there are real concerns that investors shouldn’t ignore. These include going concern commentary and a 2025 reverse stock split. There's a reason the company has just 9% institutional ownership. But if the SpaceX IPO rerates how the market values the broader space infrastructure sector, Momentus could be a tiny company that captures outsized attention.
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