AST SpaceMobile completed a Telus network integration test and received U.S.-Japan recognition, but faced competitive pressure from SpaceX’s spectrum deal.
- SpaceX agreed to acquire Grain’s nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio, while the FCC approved 15,000 Starlink Mobile Gen2 satellites.
- ARK said Neutron approaches Falcon 9’s payload capacity and could serve satellite operators urgently seeking launch access.
- Redwire secured solar-array work for Axiom’s second station module but remained the group’s weakest stock performer.
SpaceX (SPCX) was the lone winner in this week’s five-stock space race through Thursday, holding onto gains as its wireless ambitions expanded, while satellite tests, launch prospects and a commercial space-station contract failed to keep rivals above water.
SPCX gained 1% so far this week, while Redwire (RDW) fell 10%, Rocket Lab (RKLB) dropped 8%, Ast SpaceMobile (ASTS) slipped 3% and Planet Labs (PL) lost 2%.
SPCX Holds The Lead As Starlink Broadens Its Reach
SpaceX’s biggest late-week move came on Thursday, when it agreed to acquire Grain Management’s nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio, adding another building block for Starlink Mobile.
The deal is subject to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval and other conditions. Grain said the airwaves would support connectivity from both ground infrastructure and satellites, giving SpaceX more flexibility as it expands beyond satellite broadband. The Wall Street Journal reported an $8 billion cash price. Separately, the FCC approved SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile Gen2 application this week, authorizing 15,000 satellites optimized for global 2 GHz service.
Starlink also secured a larger aviation footprint. American Airlines said on Thursday that it would install the service across its entire mainline fleet of more than 1,000 aircraft, expanding an earlier plan covering over 500 Airbus jets. Installations are scheduled to begin in early 2027.
Investors also face a key near-term event on Friday, when up to 328.4 million SPCX shares become eligible for sale under its staggered post-IPO lockup schedule, potentially expanding tradable supply depending on how many holders choose to sell.
On Stocktwits, SPCX sentiment eased to ‘bullish’ from ‘extremely bullish’ a week earlier amid ‘high’ message volume. Shares are down 0.2% year-to-date.
RKLB Loses Thrust Despite ARK’s Backing
Rocket Lab’s decline came even as Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment Management continued making the case for competing launch providers. ARK analyst Tasha Keeney said Rocket Lab had “done a great job” and that Neutron “comes close to the Falcon 9,” though its payload capacity remains “a little bit shy.”
Daniel Maguire put Neutron’s planned capacity at 13,000 kilograms, against 17,000 kilograms for Falcon 9 in a partially reusable configuration. More pressing than the size comparison, he argued, is satellite operators’ need for available launches.
“They are all in dire need of getting access to launch,” Maguire said, pointing to SpaceX’s internal Starlink and planned StarMind requirements as a potential opening for Rocket Lab. ARK’s thesis remains conditional on Neutron delivering. CEO Peter Beck has said that the window for a flight before year-end was narrowing.
The company entered the week with fresh commercial momentum from its agreement for 20 additional Synspective launches from last week. Those Electron missions are scheduled for 2028 through 2031 and bring the customer’s total contracted flights to 47.
RKLB sentiment on Stocktwits stood at ‘bearish’ amid ‘normal’ message volume. Shares are down 2% year-to-date.
ASTS Clears Canadian Test, But SpaceX Raises Stakes
AST SpaceMobile made operational progress on Monday, announcing with Telus that the companies had completed their first integration test linking Telus’ wireless network with AST’s space-based network.
The milestone advances plans for broadband data, voice calls and text messages directly between satellites and everyday smartphones. Telus said the service was expected to become available to customers within the next year, extending coverage beyond terrestrial towers.
The company also received diplomatic recognition. A U.S.-Japan tech statement welcomed cooperation between AST SpaceMobile and Rakuten on developing and deploying low-Earth-orbit satellite infrastructure. Meanwhile, SpaceX’s Grain spectrum deal added competitive pressure on AST SpaceMobile, whose shares fell nearly 4% in extended trading on Thursday as Starlink moved closer to becoming a major U.S. mobile carrier.
On Stocktwits, ASTS sentiment held consistently at ‘bullish’ levels over the past week amid ‘high’ message volume. Shares are down 22% year-to-date.
PL Draws Cramer Praise, Barclays Caution
Planet Labs recorded the smallest decline among the four losing stocks as investors continued assessing its role in Google’s orbital computing experiment.
The company entered the week following the Oct.1 launch of a Project Suncatcher prototype built with Google. Google confirmed contact with the spacecraft and said it was operating as expected. Testing over the next few weeks will examine how its Tensor Processing Units withstand spaceflight, radiation and temperature extremes.
The mission remains a research project exploring whether space could eventually support large-scale machine-learning infrastructure. Planet also attracted a bullish call from Jim Cramer, who called the company “terrific” and said: “I think you should buy it. I think it’s done going down.”
Barclays initiated Planet Labs at ‘Equal Weight’ Thursday with a $17 price target, implying a 1% downside from current levels. The call formed part of its broader aerospace and defense coverage launch, with the firm saying the U.S. was in the “early innings of a modern-day industrial revolution” and favoring defense tech over large-cap contractors.
On Stocktwits, PL sentiment remained ‘bearish’ from a week earlier, while message volume rose to ‘normal’ from ‘low’. Shares are down 13% year-to-date.
RDW Takes The Hardest Hit Despite Axiom Award
Redwire’s drop made it the weakest performer in the group, despite a fresh contract expanding its role in commercial space-station infrastructure. On Monday, Axiom Space awarded Redwire work to develop and deliver two Roll-Out Solar Array wings for its second station module. Redwire is already supplying the arrays for Axiom’s first module.
Axiom plans to launch its first module in 2028, with the second following less than a year later. Together, the modules are intended to form a free-flying station capable of supporting four crew members, placing Redwire’s latest award within a longer-term deployment program.
Retail enthusiasm held up better than the share price: RDW sentiment on Stocktwits remained ‘bullish’ consistently for a week amid ‘high’ message volume. Shares are down 28% year-to-date.
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