Here’s the thing about space stocks: they’re either the future or they’re a spectacular way to lose money. Right now, they’re looking more like the former.
Rocket Lab just dropped a bombshell—acquiring Iridium Communications for roughly $8 billion in a cash-and-stock deal. Translation? They’re now vertically integrated like SpaceX, owning both the rockets and the network they serve. Wall Street loved it. RKLB popped 16% yesterday.
But here’s what’s wild: if you’d been reading the right newsletters back in September 2025, you’d already be up 102% on this stock. RKLB, BlackSky, Planet Labs, AST SpaceMobile—these were the names flagged when everyone was obsessing over SpaceX mania. The space sector is consolidating, and consolidation at this scale means serious money now sees space infrastructure as a generational asset, not a Vegas bet.
Of course, the sector’s had a rough ride. Blue Origin’s rocket explosion in May spooked everyone. Then SpaceX went public at a $2 trillion valuation, and investors rotated out of smaller names like they were on fire. SPCX itself tanked 30% from its post-IPO peak after announcing a $20-25 billion bond sale for Musk’s AI ventures. The whole sector came down with it.
So which space stocks actually survive? Here’s the unsexy answer: watch the numbers, not the narrative. Earnings momentum, sales growth, institutional buying pressure—that’s what separates the winners from the zeros.
Louis Navellier’s quantitative system rates Planet Labs an “A” right now. The company operates the world’s largest Earth-observation satellite fleet—over 200 satellites imaging the entire planet daily. Governments, defense contractors, agricultural companies, insurance firms—they all use this data to make better decisions. The stock got cut nearly in half in the crash, but the business didn’t change. Just the price tag.
Here’s the kicker: the real opportunities aren’t the obvious space plays. They’re the picks-and-shovels businesses—materials companies, semiconductor foundries, the infrastructure that makes the whole thing run. Almost nobody’s looking at them, which is exactly why they’re interesting.
Bottom line? Space is real. The opportunity is real. But not every company with “space” in its pitch deck survives. The ones with actual earnings and institutional backing? Those are worth watching.
