Space Stocks to Watch in 2026: Full List by Sector
Space stocks to watch in 2026: launch, satellite, Earth-observation, lunar and defense names plus space ETFs, with YTD performance, tickers and how to compare them.
The listed space sector now ranges from SpaceX, which went public in June 2026, to small-cap satellite and Earth-observation companies and the space divisions of large defense primes. This guide groups the 38 space stocks and ETFs we track by business model, so you can compare like with like. Prices are delayed and refresh on every site update (data fetched Oct 28, 2026 14:38 UTC).
Year to date, the strongest names on our list are IRDM (+161%), OHB.DE (+112%), VSAT (+103%); the weakest are SIDU (-64%), MNTS (-57%), KRMN (-50%). Use the space stocks screener to sort and filter the full list, and the space markets dashboard for daily movers.
How to compare space stocks
- Revenue visibility: backlog and government contracts versus speculative future markets.
- Balance sheet: cash runway matters for pre-profit companies; watch for share issuance.
- Catalysts: launches, constellation milestones, earnings dates (see the space calendar) and contract awards.
- Concentration: how much a company depends on one customer (often NASA, the DoD or SpaceX itself).
Launch stocks
Launch companies sell rides to orbit. Revenue depends on launch cadence, reusability and pricing power; the biggest risk is a failure or a slipping new vehicle.
| Ticker | Company | Country | Price | YTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPCX | SpaceX | US | 143.9 | – |
| RKLB | Rocket Lab | US | 57.32 | -17.8% |
| FLY | Firefly Aerospace | US | 19.49 | -12.9% |
| SPCE | Virgin Galactic | US | 2.64 | -17.8% |
Satellites & Comms stocks
Satellite operators sell connectivity (broadband, direct-to-device, IoT, broadcast). Watch spectrum rights, constellation deployment schedules and subscriber growth.
| Ticker | Company | Country | Price | YTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASTS | AST SpaceMobile | US | 40.92 | -43.7% |
| SATS | EchoStar | US | 94.57 | – |
| IRDM | Iridium | US | 45.38 | +161.1% |
| VSAT | Viasat | US | 70.0 | +103.1% |
| GSAT | Globalstar | US | 83.88 | +37.4% |
| ETL.PA | Eutelsat | France | 1.97 | +15.3% |
| SESG.PA | SES | Luxembourg | 4.23 | -23.6% |
| GILT | Gilat Satellite Networks | Israel | 7.66 | -40.8% |
Earth Observation stocks
Earth-observation firms sell imagery and analytics, mostly to governments and defense. Backlog, contract renewals and margins matter more than headlines.
| Ticker | Company | Country | Price | YTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PL | Planet Labs | US | 14.24 | -27.8% |
| BKSY | BlackSky | US | 18.78 | +0.2% |
| SATL | Satellogic | US | 3.78 | +102.1% |
| SPIR | Spire Global | US | 9.53 | +27.1% |
| HAWK | HawkEye 360 | US | 13.3 | – |
Components stocks
Component and infrastructure suppliers build buses, power systems, in-space hardware and stations. They ride the whole sector's capex cycle.
| Ticker | Company | Country | Price | YTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YSS | York Space Systems | US | 6.42 | – |
| RDW | Redwire | US | 8.76 | +15.2% |
| MNTS | Momentus | US | 2.07 | -57.5% |
| SIDU | Sidus Space | US | 1.12 | -64.2% |
| KRMN | Karman Space & Defense | US | 36.74 | -49.8% |
| MDA.TO | MDA Space | Canada | 40.78 | +53.1% |
| OHB.DE | OHB | Germany | 247.5 | +112.5% |
| VOYG | Voyager Technologies | US | 26.75 | +2.3% |
Lunar & Exploration stocks
Lunar and exploration companies depend heavily on NASA programs (CLPS, Artemis). Mission success and contract awards drive the stock.
| Ticker | Company | Country | Price | YTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUNR | Intuitive Machines | US | 11.25 | -30.7% |
Defense & Primes stocks
Large aerospace and defense primes have space divisions inside much larger businesses. They are the lower-volatility way to get space exposure.
| Ticker | Company | Country | Price | YTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AADX | Applied Aerospace & Defense | US | 10.62 | – |
| LMT | Lockheed Martin | US | 623.57 | +28.9% |
| NOC | Northrop Grumman | US | 551.45 | -3.3% |
| BA | Boeing | US | 166.45 | -23.3% |
| RTX | RTX | US | 195.44 | +6.6% |
| LHX | L3Harris | US | 258.71 | -11.9% |
| AIR.PA | Airbus | France | 192.52 | -3.0% |
| HO.PA | Thales | France | 234.9 | +2.2% |
| SAF.PA | Safran | France | 271.8 | -8.6% |
ETF stocks
Space ETFs hold a basket of the names above, which spreads single-company risk.
| Ticker | Company | Country | Price | YTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UFO | Procure Space ETF | US | 40.8 | +5.6% |
| ARKX | ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF | US | 30.56 | +5.5% |
| ROKT | SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF | US | 103.4 | +21.5% |
Latest space stocks news
- SpaceX seeks to more than double its Kennedy Starship campus as Florida's first Starship flight takes shape (Oct 26, 2026)
- Xona raises $250M at $2.45B valuation to build a commercial GPS rival in low Earth orbit (Oct 23, 2026)
- SpaceX Q3: AI out-earns Starlink as revenue hits $14.6B and capex nears $20B (Oct 21, 2026)
- ASTS bounces as Europe's four biggest carriers explore a joint satellite-spectrum bid (Oct 20, 2026)
- Bandwagon-5 flies SpaceX's Starfall capsule a second time, with Varda's W-7 mini-factory (Oct 20, 2026)
- Space earnings week: SpaceX and Northrop report Oct. 20, Lockheed Oct. 22 (Oct 17, 2026)
- Seraphim's NAV per share doubles as ICEYE passes a €10bn valuation (Oct 17, 2026)
- AST SpaceMobile sinks to a 52-week low as SpaceX moves on direct-to-phone spectrum (Oct 17, 2026)
More: Space stocks news · Space IPO & funding tracker · Space market charts · How to invest in SpaceX
FAQ
What are the best space stocks to watch?
There is no single best space stock. Investors usually follow a mix: launch providers such as SpaceX (SPCX) and Rocket Lab (RKLB), satellite operators such as AST SpaceMobile (ASTS), Iridium (IRDM) and Viasat (VSAT), Earth-observation firms like Planet Labs (PL) and BlackSky (BKSY), and defense primes with space divisions. Compare them by sector, revenue visibility and balance sheet.
Is there an ETF for space stocks?
Yes. The best-known US-listed space ETFs are Procure Space ETF (UFO), ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF (ARKX) and SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF (ROKT). Each holds a different basket, so check the holdings before buying.
Are space stocks risky?
Many small-cap space stocks are volatile and some are unprofitable, so dilution, launch failures and contract delays can move them sharply. Large defense primes and ETFs are usually less volatile. Nothing here is financial advice.