SPCX, ASTS, RKLB Find A Floor After Brutal July: Musk’s Moon, Mars Confidence Gives Space Stocks A Lift

• Elon Musk said “It will happen” after NASA chief Jared Isaacman backed SpaceX’s role in U.S. Moon ambitions.
• Isaacman said NASA “can’t do it without” SpaceX as the agency targets a lunar return and eventual Moon base.
• SpaceX stands to benefit most through existing lunar-lander awards and potential demand for launches, cargo and Moon infrastructure.

Space stocks rose premarket on Thursday as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reinforced confidence in Moon and Mars plans following bullish comments from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on the rocket firm’s role in America’s lunar ambitions.

SPCX and RKLB edged up 0.1% in premarket trading, while ASTS gained 1%. Over the past month, however, all three have fallen sharply, with RKLB down 40%, ASTS off 39% and SPCX losing 31%.

Musk Backs NASA Moon Base Ambitions 

Musk said “It will happen” on X in response to a post from early SpaceX investor and X Prize Foundation Executive Chairman Peter Diamandis, who highlighted Isaacman’s conviction that Musk’s company will be instrumental in turning lunar ambitions into reality.

Isaacman said: “If Elon and SpaceX are betting on this right now, there is no reason to believe this will not come into existence. I never bet against an extremely well-capitalized Elon.” He added that NASA’s top national space-policy objective is to return American astronauts to the lunar surface and build out a Moon base, saying of SpaceX: “We can’t do it without them.”

Artemis Pushes Toward 2028 Moon Landing

NASA’s Artemis III mission, due in 2027, will send four astronauts to low Earth orbit to dock with prototype lunar landers rather than attempt a Moon landing. The mission was originally intended to return astronauts to the lunar surface, but NASA changed course in February after SpaceX’s Starship lander was not ready and its required in-orbit refueling technology had yet to be demonstrated.

Artemis IV, targeted for 2028, is now scheduled to put Americans on the Moon for the first time since 1972. The longer-term ambition is a sustained human presence. NASA’s Moon Base program calls for robotic missions before 2029, repeated crewed missions from 2029 and semi-permanent habitats by the mid-2030s, with the Moon eventually serving as a proving ground for Mars exploration.

Why SpaceX Gets The Biggest Boost

SpaceX already holds multibillion-dollar Human Landing System awards covering an uncrewed lunar demonstration, crewed landings and later missions. A sustained Moon-base buildout would also mean more demand for high-capacity launches, cargo, infrastructure and landing systems, which are all central to the Starship strategy.

The endorsement comes as SpaceX shares have pulled back from post-IPO highs amid valuation concerns, Starship execution questions and lockup-related supply worries, making NASA leadership’s backing an important sentiment catalyst.

RKLB, ASTS Ride Space-Sector Tailwinds 

Rocket Lab stands to benefit more indirectly through increased launch and space-systems demand. The company already has lunar and planetary credentials through NASA’s Capstone mission and the twin Escapade spacecraft headed to Mars. Electron could benefit from more small science and infrastructure missions, while reusable medium-lift rocket Neutron, targeted for a first flight later in 2026, could compete for larger constellation, logistics and dedicated missions.

While AST SpaceMobile has limited direct Moon or Mars exposure, it could benefit from stronger investor appetite for commercial-space stocks. ASTS relies heavily on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for BlueBird deployments as it ramps its constellation toward 45 satellites for initial continuous coverage in key markets. The company also has U.S. government awards for tactical and resilient communications, giving it another potential avenue as national space investment expands.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About Space Stocks?

Retail traders favor SPCX right now. On Stocktwits, sentiment was ‘bullish’ for SPCX amid ‘high’ message volume, while RKLB was ‘neutral’ with ‘normal’ activity and ASTS was ‘bearish’ amid ‘low’ message volume. 

Over the past year, RKLB has climbed 34%, while ASTS is roughly flat with a 0.1% decline and SPCX has fallen 30%. 

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