Elon Musk’s SpaceX Sets New Starship Launch Date – SPCX Stock Drops To New Record Low While ASTS, RKLB Rally

SpaceX rescheduled Starship's 13th test flight for Monday after Thursday's launch attempt was aborted because several Raptor engines failed to start.
The SpaceX Starship V3 is seen docked at a launch pad at Starbase on May 22, 2026 in Boca Chica Beach, Texas.  (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The SpaceX Starship V3 is seen docked at a launch pad at Starbase on May 22, 2026 in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
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Prabhjote Gill·Stocktwits
Published Jul 17, 2026   |   12:57 PM EDT
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  • SpaceX has lost more than $1 trillion in market value since its post-IPO peak, with its capitalization now roughly $1.61 trillion.
  • SPCX stock fell to a fresh record low, extending its losing streak to six sessions, and remained below the IPO price.
  • Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile outperformed the sector, with ASTS jumping more than 10% after B. Riley upgraded the stock to 'Buy.'

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SpaceX (SPCX) shares dropped to a fresh record low in midday trade on Friday and were on track to clock their sixth consecutive day of losses, despite the company setting a new target date for its next Starship test flight.

The launch of the Starship's 13th test flight was originally scheduled for Thursday night but was eventually scrapped, with CEO Elon Musk stating that some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort. SpaceX is now targeting Monday, July 20, for its next attempt, according to the launch schedule on the company’s official website. 

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New Starship Launch Date Does Not Slow Selloff

SPCX’s stock fell more than 6% in midday trade, erasing more than $1 trillion from its market capitalization as compared to post-IPO peaks. On Friday, the total market value sat at around $1.61 trillion, down from its all-time high of nearly $2.7 trillion.

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Source: Koyfin

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment about SPCX stock remained in ‘bearish’ territory over the past day, accompanied by chatter at ‘low’ levels. 

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SPCX stock retail sentiment on July 17 as of 11:45 a.m. ET | Source: Stocktwits 

Rival Space Stocks Buck The Trend

The shares of competitors RocketLab USA (RKLB) and AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) rallied in midday trade amid SPCX’s sell-off. RKLB’s stock climbed over 3.5%, while ASTS’ stock jumped more than 10%. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around both ASTS and RKLB shares rose to ‘bullish’ from ‘neutral’ territory over the past day.

The rally in ASTS also comes after B. Riley on Friday upgraded the stock to ‘Buy’ from ‘Neutral’ with an unchanged price target of $85, which implies a potential upside of around 40% from current levels.

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In a note to investors cited by TheFly, the firm said ASTS’s approximately 44% decline in the last six months has tilted "the risk/reward calculus favorably for the company." 

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SPCX, ASTS and RKLB stock performance year-to-date. | Source: Koyfin

SPCX stock has fallen over 20% since making its public market debut in June, according to Koyfin data. Meanwhile, ASTS’ stock has fallen nearly 17% this year, and RKLB’s stock has dropped less than 1%.

Read also: AAPL Stock Lands HSBC Upgrade – iPhone-Maker Reportedly Escalates Trade Secret War With OpenAI

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