According to SpaceNews, Elon Musk has openly signaled plans for a SpaceX IPO in 2026, a move that could raise over $30 billion at a staggering $1.5 trillion valuation. In response, other space companies are already accelerating their own public market plans, with Cape Canaveral-based Starfighters Space increasing a planned offering by $5 million to $40 million next week, valuing it at $143 million. Starfighters, which is developing an air-launch system using supersonic F-104 jets, reported net losses of $7.9 million in 2024 and expects more losses as it develops its payload launch capability, targeting a first suborbital launch soon. The broader space IPO drumbeat includes OpenAI, which is also reportedly eyeing a 2026 listing at around $1 trillion. Industry experts say a SpaceX debut would be a “seismic event” for the space economy, currently worth about $600 billion but projected to hit $1.8 trillion by 2035.
The SpaceX IPO Domino Effect
Here’s the thing about a potential SpaceX IPO: it’s not just about one company. It’s about validating an entire, notoriously risky sector. For years, SpaceX has been the 800-pound gorilla that happily stayed private, avoiding the quarterly scrutiny of Wall Street to focus on, you know, Mars. But now that Musk seems to be confirming the 2026 rumor, the floodgates are creaking open.
And you can see it happening in real time. Starfighters Space is a perfect case study. They’re a tiny player with a cool but unproven concept—launching small sats from old fighter jets, basically a modern, hopefully more successful take on Virgin Orbit’s failed model. They’re losing money, waiting on FAA approvals, and their first commercial launch is already a moving target. Yet, they’re confidently increasing their offering. Why? Because they, and their investors, believe the SpaceX spotlight will make every space-related story more compelling to public market investors. It’s a classic “a rising tide lifts all boats” bet, even if some of those boats are still being welded together.
Why Now, and Who Benefits?
So why would SpaceX go public now, after resisting for so long? The capital needs are shifting. It’s not just about rockets and Starlink anymore. The new frontier is orbital data centers for AI, a mind-bogglingly expensive endeavor that even SpaceX’s cash flow might struggle to fund alone. The public markets are the obvious piggy bank for that.
This creates a massive opportunity for the broader ecosystem. As one investor put it, we’ll see a “flurry” of other companies rushing out. Who wins? Everyone in the supporting cast: companies working on in-orbit servicing, specialized components, data analytics from satellite imagery, and ground segment technology. When the lead actor gets a record-breaking deal, the whole production gets more funding. It’s about opening up new pools of institutional capital that have been wary of space’s long timelines and high failure rates. A successful SpaceX debut would be the ultimate proof-of-concept.
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The Big Picture & The Risk
But let’s pump the brakes for a second. Is this all getting a bit frothy? Probably. The space between a headline-grabbing IPO and sustainable public company performance is vast. Starfighters’ financials—millions in losses with more to come—are a reminder that for every SpaceX, there are dozens of companies that won’t make it. The public markets can be brutal, and quarterly earnings reports have a way of dampening “moonshot” enthusiasm if there’s no clear path to profitability.
The projected growth of the space economy to $1.8 trillion is enticing, but it’s just a projection. A SpaceX IPO could accelerate it, or it could lead to a bubble if too much capital chases too few viable business models. Remember, we’re talking about a sector where the hardware literally explodes sometimes. The momentum is real and exciting, but investor due diligence will be more important than ever. You can ride a wave, but you have to pick the right surfboard.
