ASTS, RKLB, LUNR, FLY Eye August Gains — Elon Musk Backs Trump’s Plan To Train America’s Next Space Leaders

• Musk backed Trump’s proposed U.S. Space Academy, which would train astronauts, engineers, operators, entrepreneurs and military personnel.
• SPCX led August with a 31% gain, followed by LUNR at 25% and FLY at 5%, while ASTS and RKLB remained slightly lower.
• The initiative follows Trump’s target of more than 1,000 annual U.S. launches and reentries by 2030, or nearly three per day.

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS), Rocket Lab (RKLB), Intuitive Machines (LUNR) and Firefly Aerospace (FLY) headed into August’s final session eyeing monthly gains as Washington added a workforce initiative to its expanding push for U.S. space dominance.

So far in August, LUNR jumped 24%, SPCX gained 22% and FLY rose 10%, while ASTS climbed 3% and RKLB edged 1% higher.

Musk Backs Trump’s US Space Academy 

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk signaled support after the White House announced that U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating a commission to design the proposed United States Space Academy. Musk responded on X with two rocket emojis.

The proposed NASA-led academy would train astronauts, scientists, engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, civil servants and military personnel for America’s expanding space ambitions. The order creates a presidential commission chaired by the NASA administrator, with representatives from the Pentagon, Air Force, White House and other agencies.

Within 120 days, the commission must recommend the academy’s governance, curriculum, applicant requirements, graduate service obligations, permanent location and implementation strategy. The academy is not yet operational. Its establishment would require presidential approval, potential legislation and funding. “American superiority in space depends on the strength, skill, and character of those who explore, secure, and build the industries critical to it,” the order said.

White House Pushes 3 Daily Space Missions

The order follows Trump’s August memorandum targeting more than 1,000 U.S. launches and reentries annually by 2030, which comes up to nearly three per day. That policy directs agencies to accelerate permitting, identify additional launch sites, improve range scheduling and encourage private investment in infrastructure. It also calls on NASA to facilitate commercial transportation to the Moon and robotic access to Mars.

What The Policy Means For Space Stocks

AST SpaceMobile is deploying a low-Earth-orbit constellation to provide broadband directly to ordinary phones. With about 60 carrier partners covering more than 3 billion potential subscribers, ASTS is dependent on third-party launch providers. More U.S. launch capacity and trained operators could support its BlueBird rollout.

Rocket Lab is the best publicly traded alternative to SpaceX for dedicated launches and government missions. Electron completed its 93rd flight in August, while Neutron is targeting a debut around year-end, with possible slippage into 2027. Rocket Lab’s backlog stood at $2.36 billion, supported by major Space Force awards.

Meanwhile, Intuitive Machines offers direct exposure to lunar infrastructure. The company is assembling its third Moon mission, carries a $1.8 billion backlog and recently advanced a multi-satellite communications program valued at over $600 million. On the other hand, Firefly Aerospace combines Alpha launches with its Blue Ghost lunar landers and develops Eclipse medium-lift vehicles. 

How Do Retail Traders Feel About Space Stocks?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment was ‘bearish’ for SPCX, ASTS, LUNR and FLY, while RKLB traders remained ‘neutral.’ Message volume was ‘low’ across ASTS, RKLB, LUNR and FLY, and ‘extremely low’ for SPCX. 

Over the past year, LUNR surged 73%, RKLB gained 34% and ASTS rose 19%, while SPCX fell 12% and FLY plunged 55%.

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