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Key Takeaways Intuitive Machines is expanding mission planning, navigation and surface operations for lunar missions.LUNR combines mission operations with lunar delivery, communications and surface technologies.Intuitive Machines supports end-to-end lunar missions for government and commercial customers. Intuitive Machines, Inc. (LUNR - Free Report) continues expanding its capabilities in lunar mission operations as it supports an increasing number of commercial and government missions to the Moon. The company integrates spacecraft operations, mission planning, navigation and surface operations to execute complex lunar missions while supporting NASA's long-term lunar exploration objectives. These capabilities position Intuitive Machines as a provider of end-to-end lunar mission services beyond transportation.

Mission operations have become increasingly important as lunar exploration evolves from individual missions to sustained lunar activities. Intuitive Machines continues enhancing its operational expertise across mission planning, flight operations, precision lunar landing and surface mission execution. This integrated approach enables the company to assist customers throughout the entire mission lifecycle while improving operational readiness for future lunar campaigns.

LUNR's operational capabilities also complement its broader lunar services portfolio. By combining mission operations with lunar delivery services, communications infrastructure and surface technologies, Intuitive Machines continues building an integrated platform capable of supporting increasingly sophisticated lunar missions for government and commercial customers.

As lunar exploration activity continues expanding, reliable mission execution will remain critical to long-term success. Intuitive Machines' continued investment in mission operations capabilities positions the company to support more frequent lunar missions while strengthening its role across the evolving cislunar economy.

Companies Expanding Lunar Mission CapabilitiesAerospace companies continue boosting capabilities to support increasingly complex lunar missions. Companies like Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT - Free Report) and Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB - Free Report) are also strengthening technologies that support future lunar exploration.

Lockheed Martin continues supporting NASA's Artemis program through spacecraft development, lunar exploration missions and technologies that enable future human and robotic operations on the Moon.

Rocket Lab continues expanding its lunar capabilities through spacecraft design, deep-space mission support and satellite technologies that facilitate scientific exploration and future lunar missions.

Earnings Estimates for LUNRThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings per share suggests a year-over-year decline of 2.38% and growth of 94.78%, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

LUNR Stock Trading at a PremiumLUNR is trading at a premium relative to the industry, with a forward 12-month price-to-sales of 3.31X compared with the industry average of 2.56X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

LUNR Stock Price PerformanceOver the past year, LUNR shares have surged 36.7% against the industry’s 0.1% decline.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

LUNR’s Zacks Rank

Intuitive Machines shares are retreating from recent levels. Why are LUNR shares down? What Is Driving Intuitive Machines’ Recent NASA Win?The company recently secured a NASA award worth up to $148.3 million to deliver a production-line-qualified Nova-C lander to the Moon by 2028, including a $68.6 million base plus a $79.7 million performance incentive tied to successful qualification. At the same time, short interest climbed to 37.84 million shares (up from 34.79 million), or 28.85% of the public float, which can magnify day-to-day swings when sentiment turns.

Intuitive Machines’ contract-driven upside is running into a market that’s still punishing high-beta names quickly, and Wednesday’s similar slide came with short interest showing about 2.66 days to cover on average daily volume of 14.23 million shares. That positioning backdrop keeps “good news” rallies fragile when traders lean risk-off.

Critical Price Levels To Watch For LUNRFrom a longer-term trend view, LUNR is still up 43.65% over the past 12 months, but the current chart is heavy because price is sitting below every major moving average in this dataset. The stock is trading 23.7% below its 20-day SMA ($21.07), 42.3% below its 50-day SMA ($27.85), and 15.3% below its 200-day SMA ($18.97), which keeps rallies looking more like "sell the bounce" setups until key averages are reclaimed.

Momentum is best framed through MACD right now: MACD is below its signal line and the histogram is negative, which suggests upside pressure is fading unless buyers can push back above that baseline. The bearish alignment of the 20-day SMA below the 50-day SMA reinforces the near-term downtrend, even though the longer-term golden cross from November 2025 (50-day SMA above the 200-day SMA) remains technically intact.

Key Support: $16.00 — a nearby floor close to current price where buyers previously stepped in. What Is Intuitive Machines and Its Business Model?Intuitive Machines is a space infrastructure and services company focused on enabling sustained human activity beyond Earth, designing, building, integrating, and operating space systems across low Earth orbit, geostationary orbit, cislunar space, and deep space. A core part of the pitch is "infrastructure-as-a-service," spanning spacecraft development and space-based network connectivity for commercial, civil, and national security customers.

LUNR Stock Price Activity Update on FridayLUNR Stock Price Activity: Intuitive Machines shares were down 3.96% at $16.23 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Key Takeaways LUNR has fallen 36.5% in the past month, lagging its industry and the sector.Intuitive Machines faces losses, high mission spending, execution risks and supply-chain pressures.LUNR has NASA-backed growth prospects, but earnings estimates and valuation point to caution. Intuitive Machines, Inc. (LUNR - Free Report) stock has lost 36.5% in the past month, underperforming both the Zacks Aerospace-Defense industry’s growth of 7.3% and the broader Zacks Aerospace sector’s gain of 7.2%. It also came above the S&P 500’s return of 1.6% in the same time frame.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Other industry players, such as General Dynamics (GD - Free Report) and RTX Corporation (RTX - Free Report) , have delivered a similar stellar performance in the past month. Shares of GD and RTX have risen 10.6% and 12.7%, respectively, in the said period.

LUNR’s recent weak price performance may raise concerns among investors. It is important to evaluate whether the company’s underlying fundamentals can support long-term growth or if near-term pressures could continue to weigh on the stock. Assessing its growth prospects and risks can help investors make a more informed decision.

Headwinds for LUNRIntuitive Machines continues to face profitability challenges as ongoing investments in lunar missions, spacecraft technologies and space infrastructure weigh on its near-term earnings. Although these investments are expected to support long-term growth, they are likely to continue limiting profitability in the near future.

The company also operates in a highly competitive and capital-intensive space industry, where rising research, development and mission-related expenses could pressure margins and cash flows. Additionally, risks associated with mission delays, launch failures and the successful execution of key lunar programs may affect its future growth and financial performance.

Supply-chain disruptions and labor shortages across the aerospace and space industry remain additional headwinds. These challenges could lead to production delays, increased operating costs and slower project execution for Intuitive Machines. Larger aerospace and defense companies such as General Dynamics and RTX continue to face similar supply-chain and workforce constraints, highlighting broader industry-wide challenges. The company also remains exposed to risks related to government contract funding, shifts in budget priorities and delays in mission execution, any of which could weigh on its growth prospects and profitability.

Tailwinds for LUNRIntuitive Machines continues to strengthen its position in the growing lunar economy through new NASA contracts and investments in its operational capabilities.

In June 2026, the company secured a firm-fixed-price contract from NASA worth up to $148.3 million to deliver a production-line-qualified Nova-C lunar lander by 2028. The award supports NASA's Artemis program and reinforces Intuitive Machines' role in future lunar missions.

The company is also expanding its operations. In June 2026, the State of Maryland awarded Intuitive Machines a $1 million Build Our Future Grant to expand its robotics operations into a new 69,000-square-foot facility, supporting upcoming NASA missions and long-term lunar operations.

With expanding government contracts and continued investments in its capabilities, Intuitive Machines is well-positioned to benefit from the growing demand for lunar exploration and space infrastructure.

Estimates for LUNR’s Sales and EarningsThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for LUNR’s 2026 sales implies year-over-year growth of 340.2%. The consensus estimate for its 2026 earnings indicates a year-over-year decrease of 2.4%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The downward revision in its 2026 and 2027 earnings over the past 60 days suggests investors’ decreasing confidence in this stock’s earnings generation capabilities.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

LUNR’s ValuationIn terms of valuation, LUNR’s forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) is 4.13X, a premium to the industry average of 2.67X. This suggests that investors will be paying a higher price than the company's expected earnings growth compared with its industry average.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

General Dynamics and RTX are trading at a discount in comparison with LUNR. GD’s forward 12-month P/S is 1.81X, while RTX’s forward 12-month P/S is 2.79X.

What Should an Investor do Now?Intuitive Machines is benefiting from growing demand for lunar exploration, supported by new NASA contracts and continued investments in its operational capabilities. These developments strengthen the company's long-term growth prospects and position it well in the expanding space infrastructure market.

However, the company continues to face near-term challenges, including ongoing operating losses, high research and mission-related spending, and execution risks associated with lunar programs. It also operates in a capital-intensive industry where supply-chain constraints and labor shortages could continue to pressure margins and project timelines.

Furthermore, analysts have lowered their earnings estimates for 2026 and 2027 over the past 60 days, reflecting a more cautious outlook for the company's profitability. Given these challenges, it is advisable to avoid the stock at present.

LUNR currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The first half of the trading year typically operates on a dominant market narrative. Over the past six months, that narrative has favored massive artificial intelligence (AI) and compute infrastructure rallies. By July, those storylines can start to lose momentum as investors reassess crowded trades and look for the next source of market breadth.

As Q3 institutional window dressing concludes, portfolio managers have already locked in their first-half performance for client statements and are actively resetting their risk models. Some institutional investors may be looking for a specific setup right now: asymmetric risk-reward in sectors starved of capital.

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Institutions may be quietly cutting dead weight, locking in gains from crowded technology sector trades, and positioning ahead of the next major market rotation. The goal for investors is to front-run this institutional capital flow by targeting fundamentally sound companies anchored by large backlogs, concrete government contracts, and technical mean-reversion setups.

Multiple Compression: The Math Catching Up to TechMega-cap technology and pure-play AI software trades are historically crowded and mathematically overextended. The momentum concentrated in these names relied on late-stage multiple expansion that cannot sustain itself indefinitely.

When a software business trades at 30 times forward sales, investors demand perfection in operational execution just to maintain current price levels. Any slight miss in forward guidance or revenue acceleration triggers margin compression.

Capital allocators recognize this structural vulnerability. Any broadening of market breadth leaves these hyper-valued names susceptible to rapid pullbacks. Funds are actively rotating out of these exhausted narratives to find hard assets in the physical economy, hunting for tangible value over speculative growth.

Taking Flight: Assembly Lines Replace R&D DreamsThe advanced aviation sector is shedding its origins in speculative research and development to become a heavily capitalized, federally certified manufacturing industry. Institutional capital favors operational milestones over conceptual designs.

Joby Aviation Today

$8.44 -0.05 (-0.53%)

As of 07/2/2026 03:59 PM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

52-Week Range$7.75▼

$20.95Price Target$13.64

Joby Aviation NYSE: JOBY recently provided a strong catalyst for scaled commercial production. Filings from late June formalize a strategic manufacturing alliance with Toyota Motor Corporation NYSE: TM.

Toyota Motor Corporation now holds a 13.1% beneficial ownership stake and established a 51% controlling interest in the newly formed preparation enterprise dedicated to manufacturing Joby Aviation aircraft. Backed by a $500 million direct investment, this capital structure de-risks the commercial scale-up process. The transition shifts Joby Aviation from a visionary concept to a tangible operational business with an automotive sector giant running the factory floor.

Conversely, Archer Aviation NYSE: ACHR presents a textbook technical mean-reversion setup. Despite a 35% year-to-date drawdown, Archer Aviation's underlying balance sheet is a fortress. Archer Aviation retains $1.78 billion in cash and short-term investments, yielding a current ratio exceeding 18x.

Institutional capitulation often signals a technical bottom. Prominent growth funds recently offloaded heavy blocks of Archer Aviation shares near 52-week lows, flushing out weak hands. Rapid progress through Federal Aviation Administration type certification and government integration programs validates the operational timeline, making the current discount an attractive accumulation zone before regulatory clearance is priced in.

Monopolizing Orbit: The New Vertical Space RaceThe commercial space economy is currently transitioning from niche experimental launches to scaled telecom and infrastructure duopolies. Billions in government subsidies and mergers are permanently altering sector valuation models.

Rocket Lab Today

$100.46 0.00 (0.00%)

As of 07/2/2026 04:00 PM Eastern

52-Week Range$35.25▼

$151.00Price Target$108.24

Rocket Lab NASDAQ: RKLB recently announced an $8 billion cash-and-stock acquisition of Iridium Communications. The broader market has yet to fully price in the extent to which this alters the Rocket Lab corporate valuation model.

By acquiring Iridium Communications, Rocket Lab vertically integrates into a space services powerhouse, securing high-margin recurring telecom revenue to offset the cash burn traditionally associated with launch segments. Supported by a 63.5% year-over-year increase in Q1 top line to $200.3 million and a record $2.2 billion backlog, Rocket Lab is mispriced following recent broader technology selloffs.

A unique market dynamic is unfolding for Intuitive Machines NASDAQ: LUNR. Short sellers frequently target capital-intensive space equities, assuming management will heavily dilute shareholders to fund operations. Currently, 28.85% of Intuitive Machines' public float is sold short.

However, Intuitive Machines recently secured a firm-fixed-price NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services contract valued up to $148.3 million. Securing massive non-dilutive government contracts to deliver lunar payloads provides a predictable revenue floor that breaks down the bearish thesis. The technical setup currently favors short-squeeze mechanics driven by forced institutional covering on operational execution.

AST SpaceMobile NASDAQ: ASTS offers a high-beta momentum play as it nears the commercialization of its direct-to-cell satellite constellation. AST SpaceMobile maintains a strong liquidity profile with roughly $3.5 billion in cash runway. A recent $926 million subsidy from the Japanese government to deploy a domestic satellite network with Rakuten OTCMKTS: RKUNY validates the technology on a sovereign level. Capital rotation into space-based telecom will continue driving upward price pressure for AST SpaceMobile.

Plugging in: The Backdoor AI Infrastructure PlayFuelCell Energy Today

$28.11 0.00 (0.00%)

As of 07/2/2026 04:00 PM Eastern

52-Week Range$3.78▼

$37.88Price Target$22.00

Data centers require immense amounts of uninterrupted baseload power. Traditional energy grids are entirely tapped out, creating an urgent macro tailwind for grid-independent energy solutions. FuelCell Energy NASDAQ: FCEL is well-positioned as a backdoor play on artificial intelligence infrastructure. The narrative surrounding FuelCell Energy has shifted from legacy green energy to essential hyperscaler baseload power.

The realization of 12.5 MW standardized energy block demand for data centers, paired with a $49 million U.S. EXIM Bank financing package, fundamentally transforms FuelCell Energy's balance sheet.

Recent forced index buying catalyzed double-digit percentage spikes following the addition of FuelCell Energy to the Russell 2000. Heavily beaten down in the first half of the year, FuelCell Energy now offers a technical mean-reversion setup backed by critical physical demand.

Act Before the Crowd: Finalizing a Hardware StrategyPositioning portfolios for the back half of the year requires identifying structural shifts before they dominate financial headlines. The transition away from overextended software multiples into tangible hardware, government backlogs, and de-risked manufacturing joint ventures offers a highly favorable asymmetric profile.

Allocating capital toward fundamentally sound businesses anchored by technical downside protection remains the most effective strategy to capture the impending Q3 institutional rotation. Let the smart money show you where the physical economy is heading, and act confidently before the window closes.

Should You Invest $1,000 in Joby Aviation Right Now?Before you consider Joby Aviation, you'll want to hear this.

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HOUSTON, June 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intuitive Machines, Inc. (Nasdaq: LUNR) (“Intuitive Machines”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Company”), a space technology, infrastructure, and services leader, today announced it has received a firm-fixed-price contract from NASA valued at up to $148.3 million to deliver a production-line-qualified Nova-C lander to the Moon no later than 2028. The award reinforces NASA’s accelerated schedule for lunar surface deliveries and helps proliferate Moon Base operational sites in support of Artemis.

Pictured: Intuitive Machines’ production-line-qualified Nova-C landers, including IM-2 which is being loaded for transport while IM-3 is in the background in development.

By scaling manufacturing processes to support high-volume production, Intuitive Machines is creating a standardized and repeatable lunar transport utility service. Intuitive Machines’ high-velocity pipeline helps establish the foundational infrastructure required to support NASA’s Moon Base and expand operational sites across the lunar environment.

“We are shifting the paradigm from custom aerospace engineering to commercial mass production of lunar infrastructure,” said Intuitive Machines CEO, Steve Altemus. “Our flight-proven Nova-C platform allows us to build, test, and deploy multiple landers in parallel using industry 4.0-powered manufacturing. This contract directly advances our core mission to provide persistent, reliable, and commercial baseline of transport, connectivity, and operations that allows our customers to stay longer and achieve more on the Moon.”

This award directly expands Intuitive Machines’ space infrastructure footprint, reinforcing the Company’s unique capability to connect resilient navigation networks and operate systems seamlessly across cislunar space. The financial framework of the award includes:

A $68.6 million base contract for mission execution utilizing a lander with proven lunar flight heritage.A $79.7 million performance incentive for the successful demonstration of product-line qualification, guaranteeing a steady, rapid-turnaround supply of landers. Under this award, Intuitive Machines will deliver essential scientific and operational payloads to the lunar surface. These include advanced stereo cameras to analyze surface-plume interactions (SCALPSS), a laser retroreflector array (LRA) for precise cislunar positioning, and a Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS) radiation monitor to gather critical environmental safety data.

With this sixth Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order, Intuitive Machines solidifies its position as a primary commercial logistics and transport pipeline to the lunar surface. By managing a large share of commercial lander volume, the Company validates its role as a foundational access layer serving civil, national security, and commercial clients alike.

About Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines is a leading space infrastructure company that builds spacecraft, connects networks, and operates infrastructure-as-a-service for commercial, civil, and national security customers.

With a proven track record across the space domain, the Company, through organic growth and portfolio expansion, has built over 300 spacecraft, delivered over 260 kilograms of payload to the lunar surface, and provided precision navigation expertise that has guided spacecraft across our solar system.

These capabilities form an integrated Built-Connect-Operate infrastructure service company, enabling customers to achieve mission and campaign outcomes through a single prime solution. Intuitive Machines’ technology has been demonstrated across the space domain and is engineered to support the next century of opportunity in space.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward looking. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strive,” “would,” “strategy,” “outlook,” the negative of these words or other similar expressions, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements regarding: our expectations and plans relating to our lunar missions, including the expected timing of launch and our progress in preparation thereof; our expectations with respect to, among other things, demand for our product portfolio, our submission of bids for contracts; our expectations regarding revenue for government contracts awarded to us; our operations, including our performance on future lunar missions, our financial performance and our industry; our business strategy, business plan, and plans to drive long-term sustainable shareholder value; information regarding our expectations on revenue generation and cash. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s predictions, projections, or expectations based upon currently available information and data. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements. The following important factors and uncertainties, among others, could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements in this press release: our factors detailed under the section titled Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the section titled Part I, Item 2, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the section titled Part II. Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and in our subsequent filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Contacts

For investor inquiries:

[email protected]

For media inquiries:

[email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ecd86c29-5477-4687-b294-813ebd74287f

Intuitive Machines (LUNR +5.84%) stock hit $46.75 in late May. It trades near $18.70 today. That is a 60% collapse in roughly four weeks, and investors deserve a clear explanation of what actually happened -- because the business didn't fall 60%.

The first factor was SpaceX. When Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +7.15%) went public at a $1.75 trillion valuation, institutional money rotated directly into it. Smaller, publicly traded space names absorbed the exit pressure. Intuitive Machines was the most liquid of those names, so it absorbed the most selling.

Image source: Getty Images.

The second issue is dilution. On June 3, Intuitive Machines announced a $500 million at-the-market equity offering, its second significant capital raise in less than six months, following a $175 million private placement in February. That ATM structure allows continuous share issuance at prevailing market prices, managed by 10 financial institutions. The market doesn't like that kind of persistent overhang, and it repriced the stock immediately.

Third, NASA picked other companies. In late May, NASA awarded lunar rover and lander contracts for its base-building initiative to Astrolab and Lunar Outpost, not Intuitive Machines. For a company whose entire identity is lunar infrastructure, missing a contract that high-profile is going to move shares.

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What investors should think about None of this means the underlying company is broken. In first-quarter 2026, revenue nearly tripled year over year to $187 million. Full-year guidance holds at $900 million or more. The contract backlog stands at $1.1 billion. In March, NASA awarded Intuitive Machines a $180.4 million CLPS contract to deliver payloads to the lunar south pole -- its fifth delivery mission and a direct continuation of its Artemis relationship. In May, it was awarded two prime contracts to operate NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera and ShadowCam instruments. Those aren't consolation prizes. They are the foundation of a long-term lunar infrastructure position.

The ATM offering poses a real dilution risk, and it shouldn't be dismissed. Continuous share issuance is a real cost to existing shareholders, and the overhang isn't going away overnight. However, this is a company that has tripled revenue year over year, holds over a billion dollars in backlog, and is currently operating NASA instruments on the lunar surface. The stock got caught in a rotation, was hit by dilution fears, and missed a contract that made headlines. All three things happened at once, and the market reacted the way markets do -- it sold first and asked questions later.

Investors who can separate a stock event from a business event may find that this stock trading at $18 is pricing in a level of failure the underlying business hasn't come close to delivering.

Timothy Price Crain II, SVP & Chief Technology Officer at Intuitive Machines (LUNR +5.83%), reported the redemption of 150,000 common units and immediate sale of an equivalent number of Class A Common Stock shares for $3.28 million on June 18, 2026, according to the SEC Form 4 filing.

Transaction summaryMetricValueShares sold (direct)150,000Transaction value$3.3 millionPost-transaction shares (direct)9,071,894Post-transaction value (direct ownership)$207.3 millionTransaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($21.87); post-transaction value based on June 18, 2026 market close.

Key questionsWhat was the structure and intent of this transaction?
This was a derivative-driven transaction: 150,000 common units were redeemed and immediately sold as Class A shares, providing liquidity without drawing on previously held shares.Did the sale meaningfully reduce Price’s overall economic exposure to Intuitive Machines?
No, the 1.63% reduction only affected direct Class A holdings; substantial exposure remains through Class A shares and 8,720,615 Class C/Common Units, all held directly.How does this trade compare to Crain Price II's historical trading cadence and capacity?
The transaction falls within the pattern of routine, capacity-driven selling.Does the transaction timing suggest opportunism in response to stock price movements?
The Rule 10b5-1 plan adopted in September 2025 governs the sale, indicating this was a pre-scheduled, routine portfolio management event rather than a discretionary response to the recent 124.9% one-year share price increase (as of June 18, 2026).Company overviewMetricValueMarket capitalization$3.2 billionRevenue (TTM)$328.2 millionNet income (TTM)-$109.3 millionCompany snapshotIntuitive Machines provides lunar access services, orbital services, lunar data services, and space products and infrastructure, with revenue primarily generated from aerospace contracts and lunar mission services.The firm operates a project-based business model focused on delivering high-value aerospace solutions for lunar and deep space exploration, leveraging proprietary technology and mission execution capabilities.It targets government space agencies, commercial aerospace clients, and scientific organizations engaged in lunar and planetary exploration.Intuitive Machines, Inc. is a Houston-based aerospace company specializing in lunar and deep space exploration technologies. The company leverages integrated service offerings and proprietary platforms to address the growing demand for lunar access and data services. With a focus on enabling both government and commercial missions, Intuitive Machines positions itself as a key player in the next generation of space infrastructure and exploration.

What this transaction means for investorsThis sale ultimately looks more like disciplined portfolio management than a shift in conviction, especially because it was executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

The backdrop is particularly noteworthy given the excitement and volatility surrounding SpaceX’s massive IPO this month, which has fueled sharp moves across the industry. Intuitive Machines shares had climbed roughly 125% over the past year, but have since pared yearly gains to about 74%.

The business has also continued to deliver operational momentum. First quarter revenue nearly tripled year over year to a record $186.7 million, adjusted EBITDA turned positive at $2.7 million, and backlog reached a record $1.1 billion after the company completed its acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems. Management also reaffirmed full-year revenue guidance of $900 million to $1 billion. CEO Steve Altemus said Intuitive Machines is "building" the infrastructure that will define the next phase of the space economy.

For long-term investors, scheduled insider sales are worth monitoring, but execution on that growing backlog, major NASA and defense contracts, and the company's ability to translate today's enthusiasm into sustainable profits are likely to matter far more.

Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Machines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Friday morning before market open, Intuitive Machines (LUNR 2.25%) investors were digesting a double-digit fall in the space stock over the preceding days. The monster new equity in the sector -- Space Exploration Technologies, of course -- was experiencing quite the bear run, and was dragging down other industry titles.

Intuitive Machines couldn't escape this. At that point, its share price had eroded by nearly 16% week to date, according to data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The inescapable force Intuitive didn't have any price-dragging news of its own this week (at least as of this writing), so its stock price slide was clearly a by-product of SpaceX's swoon. The dynamic with the latter company isn't unusual. Large initial public offerings (IPOs) -- and SpaceX's is massive -- tend to trigger high expectations.

Image source: Getty Images.

Also, the company is soaringly ambitious, and not only in its namesake field of space exploration. It also has considerable involvement in artificial intelligence (AI) and the infrastructure that supports it, and owns social media site X (formerly Twitter).

SpaceX made an impressive market debut, but subsequently, the stock obeyed gravity. Many realized that the company will need mountains of capital to develop and maintain some of its businesses -- neither rockets nor AI data centers come cheap -- and profitability might be elusive.

Meanwhile, in the run-up to the IPO, the space sector rallied. Much of this came from "a rising tide lifts all boats" philosophy, plus the idea that SpaceX's existing business partners, like Intuitive, would benefit from their peer's increased spending after those IPO proceeds landed in the company's coffers.

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An intuitive play... eventually I view the "space rout" as more of a correction -- many companies in the industry have high valuations but have yet to prove they can consistently book meaningful profits. Any overvalued stock is ripe for a sell-off.

Having said that, Intuitive has more potential than most, as evidenced by its impressive top-line growth lately. I feel that after the "SpaceX drag" runs its course, investors should consider buying Intuitive again.

Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Machines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

SpaceX (SPCX +0.15%), the aerospace and AI company founded by Elon Musk, recently became the biggest IPO in history with a $1.77 trillion valuation. As of this writing, its market cap has swelled to $2.18 trillion -- making it the world's seventh-most-valuable company.

However, SpaceX's market debut also sucked the oxygen out of the space sector. Many space stocks, which had risen in anticipation of SpaceX's IPO, quickly gave up their gains.

Image source: Getty Images.

One of those stocks was Intuitive Machines (LUNR 6.78%), which has dropped nearly 20% since SpaceX's IPO. Should investors chase SpaceX's volatile stock right now, or should they consider Intuitive Machines' pullback to be a better buying opportunity?

The differences between SpaceX and Intuitive Machines SpaceX generates most of its revenue from Starlink, its satellite internet service. A smaller percentage of its revenue comes from its space division, which produces its Falcon rockets, and its new AI division, which houses xAI, X, and the coding start-up Cursor.

Starlink is profitable on its own, but the losses from its space and AI divisions are wiping out its profits. It plans to ramp up its investments in those unprofitable businesses, so its bottom line will likely stay in the red for the foreseeable future.

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0.24

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156.35

Intuitive Machines mainly develops lunar landing and exploration vehicles for NASA. It's sent two Nova-C landers to the moon for NASA so far: IM-1 (Odysseus) in 2024 and IM-2 (Athena) in 2025. It plans to launch its third lander, IM-3, by the end of this year.

Intuitive's first two lunar missions weren't perfect (both landers eventually tipped over), but it still won additional lunar logistics and near-space network services (NSNS) contracts from NASA. It also acquired Lanteris Space Systems, a developer of satellite and space defense systems, earlier this year. It isn't profitable yet, but it could gradually expand and evolve into a more diversified space services provider.

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19.53

Which company is growing faster? In 2025, SpaceX's revenue rose 33% to $18.67 billion. But after recasting its results to account for its all-stock takeover of xAi this year, it posted a net loss of $4.94 billion. At its current market cap of $2.18 trillion, it trades at a staggering 117 times last year's sales.

But from 2025 to 2028, analysts expect SpaceX's revenue to grow at a 73.5% CAGR to $97.51 billion. They also expect it to turn profitable in 2027 and more than double its net income in 2028. That acceleration could be driven by Starlink's expansion, SpaceX's first commercial Starship launches, and the launches of its first orbital data centers.

Intuitive's revenue declined 8% to $210 million in 2025, but that was only after its revenue surged 187% in 2024. It also narrowed its net loss from $284 million in 2024 to $84 million in 2025, as it expanded its higher-margin services division and tightened spending. With a market cap of $3.7 billion, it trades at 17 times its 2025 sales.

From 2025 to 2028, analysts expect Intuitive's revenue to grow at an 87.8% CAGR to $1.39 billion. They also expect it to turn profitable by the final year. That growth spurt should be driven by its upcoming IM missions, the gradual monetization of its NSNS contract (worth up to $4.82 billion), and new NASA contracts for the upcoming Artemis III and IV crewed missions.

Which stock is the better buy? SpaceX's revenue growth is incredible for a company of its size, but it's heavily dependent on Starlink subsidizing its unprofitable space and AI divisions. Its bubbly price-to-sales ratio also arguably makes it a meme stock -- so it could plummet once its lockup periods start to expire.

Intuitive Machines is much smaller than SpaceX, but its business model is simpler, its stock is more reasonably valued, and it doesn't face any looming lockup expirations. So for now, I'd buy Intuitive Machines instead of SpaceX as my long-term play on the nascent space market.

Do not say you were not warned.

Previewing the SpaceX (SPCX 3.44%) IPO earlier this year, I explained what investors should expect in three simple steps.

First: SpaceX IPO fever would make space stocks skyrocket -- and Intuitive Machines (LUNR +0.57%) raced ahead 71% in four months. Next: Investors would question whether they wanted to own a second-tier space stock like Intuitive at all, when industry leader SpaceX would soon go public. Finally: Investors would rush to sell other space stocks, and put the money in SpaceX instead. We're in this final stage now, and Intuitive Machines stock is down 23.5% since SpaceX's IPO.

Image source: Getty Images.

Intuitive's fall was a no-brainer Intuitive Machines stock dropped another 9% through 10:50 a.m. ET today -- while SpaceX stock gained 10%. This brings to mind the old advice "follow the money," except here, the money trail is so obvious you don't actually need to do much following.

Investors are pulling money out of Intuitive and pouring it into SpaceX stock instead.

Today's Change

(

0.57

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0.13

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$

22.85

What's next for Intuitive Machines stock For Intuitive Machines investors (like me), this is discouraging -- but can Intuitive turn things around? According to data from StreetInsider.com, call options to buy Intuitive stock at higher prices are currently outrunning put options to sell by a 1.6-to-1 ratio.

That's not a huge difference. But it does suggest that some investors are expecting a turnaround.

You must admit there's a huge valuation gap between these two companies. Both Intuitive and SpaceX are unprofitable and burning cash. But Intuitive stock trades at less than 10x sales today, versus SpaceX stock that costs 130x its unprofitable sales.

In any world where math matters, this valuation gap should close over time, pushing SpaceX stock down... and Intuitive stock up.

Rich Smith has positions in Intuitive Machines. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Machines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Key Takeaways Intuitive Machines is developing communications and navigation systems for future lunar operations.LUNR is leveraging lunar mission experience to support spacecraft, payloads and surface connectivity.Expanding lunar communications capabilities broadens the company's role across the lunar value chain. Intuitive Machines, Inc. (LUNR - Free Report) continues to strengthen its position in the emerging lunar economy through investments in space communications and navigation infrastructure. As lunar exploration activities rise, reliable communications networks are becoming increasingly important for supporting spacecraft, scientific payloads and future surface operations. The company is leveraging its experience in lunar missions to build capabilities that can support long-term operations beyond Earth.

Expanding communications and navigation infrastructure around the Moon could create an important long-term growth opportunity for Intuitive Machines. Future lunar missions will require reliable systems for transmitting data, supporting navigation and maintaining connectivity between spacecraft, surface assets and mission operators. By developing capabilities in this area, the company is positioning itself to participate in a foundational layer of future lunar operations.

LUNR’s efforts also align with its broader space systems capabilities. Beyond lunar transportation services, Intuitive Machines develops space-related technologies and systems that support exploration missions and long-duration operations. Expanding communications and navigation capabilities allows the company to participate in another important layer of the lunar value chain while creating additional opportunities for future growth.

As interest in lunar exploration continues to increase, dependable communications infrastructure is expected to become an essential requirement for mission success. By expanding its capabilities in this area, Intuitive Machines is positioning itself to support future lunar operations while strengthening its role in the evolving space economy.

Companies Expanding Space Communications CapabilitiesGrowing demand for space-based communications and mission connectivity continues driving investment across the aerospace sector. Companies like AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (ASTS - Free Report) and Iridium Communications Inc. (IRDM - Free Report) are also advancing communications technologies that support space-based connectivity and network services.

AST SpaceMobile is developing a space-based communications infrastructure designed to expand direct connectivity capabilities through satellite networks.

Iridium Communications operates a global satellite communications network that provides voice and data services across the government, commercial and industrial markets.

Earnings Estimates for LUNRThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings per share suggests a year-over-year decline of 2.38% and growth of 96.06%, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

LUNR Stock Trading at a PremiumLUNR is trading at a premium relative to the industry, with a forward 12-month price-to-sales of 4.98X compared with the industry average of 2.64X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

LUNR Stock Price PerformanceOver the past year, LUNR shares have surged 123.6% compared with the industry’s 7.3% growth.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

LUNR’s Zacks RankLUNR currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

When you get right down to it, I was both right and right about the SpaceX (SPCX +19.22%) IPO.

Right, because I predicted SpaceX IPO fever could drive space stocks higher. Indeed, shares of lunar landing company Intuitive Machines (LUNR 13.09%) gained 71% over the past four months.

That's the good news. I was also right, unfortunately, about what would happen on the IPO date. And this in a nutshell is why Intuitive Machines stock fell 10% through 11 a.m. ET today.

Image source: Getty Images.

Three scenarios for SpaceX and space stocks Four months ago, I ran down three theories for how the SpaceX IPO could potentially play out, both for SpaceX itself and for the other space stocks in this nascent industry. Briefly, these potentialities went like this:

Option 1: SpaceX IPO fever could make space stocks more popular, driving up their stock prices. Option 2: SpaceX could make space stocks not named SpaceX less popular, if they suffered by comparison to SpaceX, which is so much bigger and more profitable than SpaceX's competitors. Or Option 3: Investors wanting to buy SpaceX stock might sell shares of other space stocks to raise cash to buy SpaceX instead.

Today's Change

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$

26.63

What's next for Intuitive Machines The fact that Intuitive Machines stock went up so much over the past four months means I was right about Option 1. The fact that Intuitive Machines stock is selling off today -- the same day investors are presumably preparing to pay for their new SpaceX IPO shares -- strongly suggests I was right about Option 3.

And Option 2? This remains to be seen. SpaceX's IPO prospectus made clear SpaceX isn't nearly as profitable as we once believed. Bigger isn't necessarily better, and tiny Intuitive Machines could still be a winner if it turns profitable before SpaceX does.

Rich Smith has positions in Intuitive Machines. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Machines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Issued on behalf of Starfighters Space, Inc.

With SpaceX clearing the runway for what could be the largest IPO in U.S. market history and the broader sector posting back-to-back contract wins, capital is flowing rapidly into the public space names building tomorrow's launch, satellite, and defense infrastructure.

USA News Group Commentary

, /PRNewswire/ -- The global space economy approached $613 billion in 2024 and is on track to cross the $1 trillion mark as soon as 2032, according to The Space Report from the Space Foundation. Capital is finally catching up to that growth curve. SpaceX filed its S-1 on May 20 and is targeting a Nasdaq listing on June 12 under the ticker SPCX, aiming to raise up to $75 billion at a valuation of approximately $1.75 trillion — a figure that, if it holds at pricing, would mark the largest IPO in U.S. market history by a wide margin. Investors are already rotating into the public names with real revenue, expanding backlogs, and direct exposure to national security space programs.

Names like Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE American: FJET), Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB), Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ: LUNR), Firefly Aerospace Inc. (NASDAQ: FLY), and AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS) are increasingly the way institutional capital is positioning ahead of the SpaceX listing window.

The capital flows are visible in the data. Rocket Lab's contracted backlog has more than doubled year-over-year to $2.2 billion. Firefly Aerospace has guided full-year 2026 revenue to $420–$450 million on the back of Q1 revenue of $80.9 million. AST SpaceMobile has secured over $1.2 billion in aggregate contracted revenue commitments and holds approximately $3.9 billion in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and liquidity. And the U.S. Space Force's Andromeda IDIQ — under which Intuitive Machines was selected as one of 14 awardees — carries a total potential value of $6.24 billion across the program. The pattern is consistent: government and institutional capital is being deployed at scale into commercial space platforms with credible execution roadmaps.

Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE American: FJET) is one of the newer entrants to that institutional rotation, and the Company just gave the market a fresh marker on its commercial trajectory. On May 22, 2026, Starfighters announced a $17.5 million strategic equity investment led by global institutional investors to support continued advancement of STARLAUNCH and broader commercial space development initiatives.

The capital is earmarked specifically for operational expansion, infrastructure development, and continued advancement of the STARLAUNCH platform — Starfighters' responsive airborne launch architecture that uses its commercial fleet of MACH 2+ supersonic aircraft as a first stage. Near-term milestones disclosed alongside the financing include continued advancement of the STARLAUNCH platform with a targeted space demonstration flight timeline over the next 18 to 24 months, subject to regulatory approvals and program execution.

"This financing represents a strong endorsement of our platform and long-term strategy," said Tim Franta, Chief Executive Officer of Starfighters Space, in the Company's release. From an investor lens, that framing matters: Starfighters is no longer pitching a development-stage thesis. Since completing its IPO in December 2025, the Company has differentiated itself in the emerging market for flexible, high-cadence space access, with the recent completion of wind tunnel testing validating key STARLAUNCH system dynamics and reducing technical risk ahead of near-term commercial mission activity.

Adding to the credibility narrative, on May 7, 2026, Starfighters announced the appointment of two senior leaders out of Blue Origin — Jose Arias as Vice President, Space Operations, and Catrina L. Medeiros as Director, STARLAUNCH Operations. Mr. Arias, who joins from Blue Origin where he served as Senior Manufacturing Engineer and Integration & Production Lead across propulsion system hardware, oversees all space-related operations for the Company. Ms. Medeiros, who comes from Blue Origin's New Glenn Stage 2 and Precision Cleaning Facility programs, supports execution of STARLAUNCH-related programs under Mr. Arias's direction.

These are operational hires from one of the most demanding launch programs in the U.S. commercial sector.

Starfighters operates the world's only commercial fleet of flight-ready MACH 2+ supersonic aircraft, based at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Company'sSTARLAUNCHarchitecture is designed to deliver flexible, high-cadence space access and satellite deployment across multiple commercial and defense markets — payload deployment, airborne aerospace testing, microgravity and high-speed flight environments, and reusable airborne launch infrastructure. The May 22 raise gives the Company the balance sheet to push that architecture from operational capability toward scaled commercial execution.

In other industry developments:

RocketLabCorporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) — On May 21, 2026, Rocket Lab announced a $90 million contract from the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command to design, manufacture, integrate, and operate two geostationary (GEO) satellites hosting the Heimdall space domain awareness payload. The award is Rocket Lab's first satellite production program for geostationary orbit and continues a Space Systems Command program for development and delivery on orbit of two Heimdall prototype payloads originally developed by GEOST, which Rocket Lab acquired in 2025 and integrated as Rocket Lab Optical Systems.

The win lands against a backdrop of Rocket Lab's contracted backlog up 108% year-over-year to $2.2 billion and record Q1 2026 revenue of $200.3 million — up 63.5% year-over-year. The Company also booked a $190 million 20-launch block order from the U.S. Department of War for HASTE hypersonic test flights, and a separate $30 million HASTE contract from Anduril announced May 7. Rocket Lab has emerged as one of the most direct publicly traded ways to play the broader launch-and-satellite build-out ahead of the SpaceX listing.

IntuitiveMachines,Inc. (NASDAQ: LUNR) — On May 13, 2026, Intuitive Machines was selected by the U.S. Space Force for the Andromeda IDIQ contract, a 10-year, multi-vendor procurement vehicle with a total potential value of approximately $6.24 billion. Intuitive Machines is one of 14 selected awardees that will compete for task orders to design and field next-generation Space Domain Awareness capabilities — detecting, tracking, and characterizing objects in geosynchronous orbit. The selection significantly expands the Company's addressable government contract base beyond its CLPS-anchored lunar mission profile.

Days later, Intuitive Machines was named prime contractor for operations of NASA's Lunar

Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) and the ShadowCam instrument aboard the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, under two three-year, cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts — $15.5 million for LROC and $4.5 million for ShadowCam, totaling $20.0 million. Q1 2026 revenue came in at a record $186.7 million, with quarter-end backlog of approximately $1.1 billion. The combination of expanding government work and lunar data services has positioned LUNR among the most visible names in the SpaceX-IPO-adjacent trade.

FireflyAerospaceInc. (NASDAQ: FLY) — On May 26, 2026, Firefly announced a $75 million subcontract from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to deliver four drones to the Moon's south pole as part of the agency's MoonFall mission, targeted to launch no earlier than 2028. MoonFall is part of the first phase of NASA's Moon Base — a long-term lunar exploration and infrastructure initiative designed to enable sustained human presence and expanded commercial activity at the lunar south pole. Firefly's Elytra spacecraft will carry the drones over a 45-day transit to the Moon and deploy them approximately 50 km above the lunar south pole.

Firefly CEO Jason Kim called MoonFall "an incredible breakthrough mission" in the Company's release, framing the win as aligned with Firefly's track record of bold execution. On the same day, Firefly also commenced a public offering of 12,000,000 shares — 4,000,000 primary and 8,000,000 from selling stockholders — pointing to the capital-markets dynamic playing out across the sector: contract momentum is creating windows for sponsors and existing holders to recycle capital into the next phase of build-out.

ASTSpaceMobile,Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS) — Q1 2026 results delivered on May 11, 2026 included a critical regulatory milestone: the FCC granted commercial Supplemental Coverage from Space authorization for the SpaceMobile network in the United States, enabling direct-to-device broadband connectivity in premium spectrum bands. The Company disclosed peak in-orbit data speeds of 98.9 Mbps using a Block 1 BlueBird satellite, and confirmed the next orbital launch — BlueBird 8, 9, and 10 — on a Falcon 9 in mid-June.

AST SpaceMobile has secured over $1.2 billion in aggregate contracted revenue commitments from partners, was awarded a $30 million prime contract by the Space Development Agency for the HALO Europa Track 2 program, and is participating in the Missile Defense Agency's SHIELD program. Founder, Chairman and CEO Abel Avellan framed the quarter as positioning AST SpaceMobile to capture the direct-to-device broadband opportunity at scale. With a balance sheet of approximately $3.9 billion in cash, equivalents, and liquidity (pro forma for the convertible notes offering and ATM facility availability), ASTS is one of the better-capitalized commercial space names heading into the SpaceX listing window.

Across the comparable set, the message from the past month of news flow is consistent: contracts are flowing, balance sheets are being topped up, and the public space complex is moving in step with the SpaceX listing thesis. Starfighters Space's May 22 financing puts the Company squarely inside that flow — with capital allocated to STARLAUNCH advancement, two senior Blue Origin operators newly seated on the execution team, and a roadmap toward future demonstration flights over the next 18 to 24 months. For investors building exposure to the SpaceX-IPO rotation trade,FJET is increasingly difficult to overlook.

CONTINUED… Read this and more news for Starfighters Space at: https://usanewsgroup.com/fjet-landing

Article Sources:

[1] https://ir.starfightersspace.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/111/starfighters-space-nyse-a merican-fjet-advances-starlaunch-program-and-commercial-space-development-through-strateg ic-17-5-million-investment

[2] https://ir.starfightersspace.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/107/starfighters-space-adds-b lue-origin-leaders-to-accelerate-starlaunch-development

[3] https://investors.rocketlabcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/rocket-lab-awarded-90 m-contract-build-geo-satellites-hosting

[4]https://www.intuitivemachines.com/news

[5] https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/05/26/3301438/0/en/firefly-aerospace-wins75-million-nasa-jpl-moonfall-subcontract-to-deliver-drones-to-the-moon-s-south-pole.html

https://investors.ast-science.com/https://www.spacefoundation.org/space-report/DISCLAIMER:

Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a digital media distribution and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. This article is being distributed by Canada News Group ("CNG"), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market IQ Media Group, Inc. ("MIQ"). MIQ has been paid a fee for Starfighters Space, Inc. advertising and digital media from Creative Direct Marketing Group ("CDMG"). There may be 3rd parties who may have shares of Starfighters Space, Inc., and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. The owner/operator of MIQ does not currently own shares of Starfighters Space, Inc. but reserves the right to buy and sell, and will buy and sell shares of Starfighters Space, Inc. at any time without any further notice commencing immediately and ongoing. This potential for trading constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. Please let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material, including this article, which is disseminated by MIQ has been reviewed and approved on behalf of Starfighters Space, Inc. by CDMG. While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

Issued on behalf of Starfighters Space, Inc. by Canada News Group / Market IQ Media Group, Inc.

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SOURCE USA News Group

As the weather warms heading into June, so does the space industry. The much-anticipated SpaceX initial public offering is creating a frenzy among aerospace companies. There are obvious adjacent winners, such as Rocket Lab, which has seen its valuation launch into the stratosphere.

Yet other space stocks are trading at prices that aren't light-years ahead of reality. Let's have a look at which ones are flying under the radar but are worth exploring. The three stocks mentioned below have all performed incredibly well in the short term, but are generally less well-known in the mainstream and have much smaller market values than Rocket Lab.

1. Intuitive Machines is a (literal) Moonshot Intuitive Machines (LUNR +15.56%) is an interesting company in that its main focus is lunar access and exploration. Moon infrastructure is proving to be big business. The company is expanding its capabilities and earning industry trust as it recently acquired Lanteris Space Systems and collaborates with NASA on the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.

Image source: Getty Images.

Intuitive's backlog has grown to $1.1 billion since it won more than $428 million in new contracts. The company's first-quarter 2026 revenue grew to a record $186 billion, nearly triple the year-earlier figure. In its latest earnings report, management reaffirmed its full-year guidance of $900 million to $1 billion.

The stock has shot to the Moon so far in 2026, up more than 110% as of this writing.

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30.66

2. Redwire is an inexpensive ticket to space Much of the space-related sector trades at sky-high valuations; Redwire (RDW +14.93%), however, is much more reasonably priced. It isn't quite as flashy as some other space-related companies, but it has a portfolio of space infrastructure technologies.

Redwire is diversifying its revenue streams as it leans into its defense business, particularly through the 2025 acquisition of Edge Autonomy. First-quarter 2026 revenue reached $97 million, a nearly 58% increase from last year.

The company also boasts a record backlog of $498 million. Multi-year, multi-million-dollar deals with NATO allies and the U.S. Space Force sent Redwire's shares soaring. The stock has risen about 190% since the start of the year, but it still has a market value of just $4 billion.

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17.09

3. Spire Global is worth observing In what is probably the least-known company on this list, Earth-observation company Spire Global (SPIR +20.89%) operates a satellite network with a surprising number of use cases across industries such as meteorology and aviation.

In a sector with immense levels of spending, Spire Global is a breath of fresh air for its solid financial fundamentals. The company sold its maritime business in 2025 and used the proceeds to pay down debt.

The company anticipates revenue of $75 million to $85 million in 2026, representing 50% year-over-year growth. The stock has gained 145% year to date.

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3.42

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19.79

To infinity and beyond for these three space companies There's an influx of capital moving into space-related companies. While the more flashy, headline-grabbing businesses like SpaceX hog the spotlight, there are plenty of under-the-radar stocks that are financially sound and could make for a lucrative long-term investment.

Intuitive Machines (LUNR +15.56%) stock felt as if it had been lifted into orbit last month. The company's shares rose by nearly 73%, due to both internal and external factors. These included, but were not limited to, the surge of interest in space stocks due to the initial public offering (IPO) regulatory filing by the Elon Musk-led SpaceX.

Lifting off like a rocket Even before the blast of free publicity generated by that filing, Intuitive was having a good May. On May 12, it announced via X (formerly Twitter) that it will participate in Andromeda, a huge program from the U.S. Space Force. Specifically, it is to design and implement cutting-edge space domain awareness (SDA) capabilities. These will be used to detect and track objects in geosynchronous orbit (i.e., orbit in sync with the Earth).

Image source: Getty Images.

The military branch's space systems command (SSC) is running the sprawling program, and Intuitive is one of 14 vendors awarded indefinite delivery/indefinite quality (IDIQ) contracts within it.

Two days later, Intuitive took the wraps off its first quarter results. The company missed analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines, yet the earnings report included several bright spots to help sustain Mr. Market's optimism. Among these was a near tripling of revenue on a year-over-year basis, and a reaffirmation of estimates-topping sales guidance.

Despite the double miss, several pundits tracking Intuitive's stock published bullish post-earnings updates on its prospects. One in this group was Austin Moeller of Canaccord, who raised his price target on the shares to $41 from $24 while maintaining his buy recommendation. Ditto for B. Riley's Mike Crawford; his change wasn't so dramatic (to $45 from $40), still he also held fast to his buy rating.

Also on earnings day, Intuitive announced the latest in a lengthening series of acquisitions. It divulged that it's buying a pair of related space businesses, Goonhilly Earth Station and Goonhilly USA. Investors took the company to heart when it wrote that the combined deal "significantly expands global ground station resources and capacity on Intuitive Machines' integrated space-to-ground network."

Intuitive said it is paying just over $49 million in cash and stock for the Goonhillys. It added the acquisitions were expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

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30.66

The SpaceX effect Finally, toward the end of the month, SpaceX's S-1 filing landed with all the impact and drama of a long-awaited space capsule thundering down to Earth. The company is aiming to notch an all-time record for IPO proceeds, potentially securing a $2 trillion valuation.

That lit quite the burner under space stocks generally, not least because there are few of them relative to other sectors such as tech or pharmaceuticals. Since Intuitive is one of the more proven companies in this still comparatively speculative industry, it received quite a boost, and exited the month with many investors full of hope about its future.

I think Intuitive is well placed to capitalize on the new Space Age that seems to be ramping up. It's a popular stock these days, but like many hot titles we've seen over the years, the broader industry lift could send it well higher. It's looking very much like a buy now.

For the second time in less than six months, Intuitive Machines (LUNR +15.56%) is raising cash -- and boy, oh boy, are investors mad! Shares of the space stock plummeted 12.8% through noon ET Wednesday.

And why?

Just a few months ago, if you recall, Intuitive Machines sold $175 million in new stock to help pay for its purchase of satellite-builder Lanteris (which Intuitive will use to build its constellation of Earth-to-moon communications satellites under contract with NASA). Investors promptly sold off Intuitive stock on that news.

Today, they're selling again after Intuitive informed the SEC it plans to sell "up to $500 million" in new stock.

Image source: Getty Images.

"Past performance is no guarantee..." If there's good news here, it's that the LUNR sell-off today is a bit smaller than the one four months ago -- despite much more money being raised.

Part of the reason investors are being somewhat more forgiving this time around is that Intuitive stock has performed remarkably since its last capital raise. Priced close to $15 in February, Intuitive shares have since shot up past $30 on SpaceX IPO fever.

As a result, Intuitive can now raise nearly three times as much money ($500 million) by selling only a few more shares (14.7 million) than it sold four months ago (when nearly 12 million $15 shares sold yielded just $175 million).

Today's Change

(

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30.66

What this means for Intuitive Machines shareholders That said, today's announced sale is still going to dilute Intuitive Machines shareholders quite a bit. Adding 14.7 million shares to the 160.5 million already outstanding will result in 9.1% dilution. That's assuming Intuitive raises the full $500 million. For now, the plan is to raise "up to" that amount through sales "from time to time."

No need to panic just yet.

Rich Smith has positions in Intuitive Machines. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Machines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Top space stocks are in a freefall this week, with Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE) falling to $4.25, its lowest level since May 28. It has slumped by over 53% from its highest point last week. 

Intuitive Machines LUNR stock has dropped by 30% from its highest point last week, while Rocket Lab (RKLB) has fallen to $114 from the year-to-date high of $151. Most notably, the Tema Space Innovators ETF (NASA) has dropped to $35.2, down from the year-to-date high of $42.75. 

These stocks are falling as we predicted last week during their bull market. The main reason for this is that the SpaceX IPO is nearing, leading to profit-taking among investors who benefited from the bull run.

In theory, SpaceX IPO should benefit companies in the industry. For one, it will be the biggest initial public offering on record, with the company raising $75 billion at a $1.75 trillion valuation.

Still, there are concerns that this IPO will be bearish for these companies. For one, the company recently slashed its IPO valuation from $2 trillion to $1.75 trillion. That is a sign that the company may have experienced weak demand during its roadshow. On Wednesday, analysts at Morningstar predicted that the real valuation is about 50% below the expected level. 

Most importantly, companies tend to drop sharply after their IPOs. A closer look at the top IPOs since last year shows that most of them have crashed. Some of the most notable ones are companies like Medline, Cerebras, Venture Global, Klarna, Circle Internet, Figma, and Chime. 

The ongoing Rocket Lab, Intuitive Machines, and Virgin Galactic stocks crash is also happening amid concerns about their valuations. At its peak, Rocket Lab stock gained a market capitalization of nearly $90 billion. Intuitive Machines’ market cap jumped to over $10 billion. These are huge numbers for companies that are not making profits. 

For example, Rocket Lab has a forward price-to-sales ratio of 72.90, while Intuitive Machines has a multiple of 13. Other space companies like Planet Lab and AST SpaceMobile have substantial multiples that are hard to justify for now. 

At the same time, investors are taking profits after these stocks surged recently. For example, Rocket Lab stock was up by 485% from its lowest point last year, while LUNR was up by 470% in the same period. SPCE was up 313% from the lowest level this year. It is common for stocks to pull back after such a successful bull run as investors take profits.

So, is this the end of the space stocks bull run? Probably not, as the hype surrounding the IPO is still there. However, analysts are recommending caution when going long. For example, the average estimate for the RKLB stock is $97, down by 16% from the current level. 

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Space stocks are catching a strong updraft in midday trading. Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE) stock is up 14% to $4.87, while Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB | RKLB Price Prediction) stock is climbing 6% to around $122.

The likely backdrop: SpaceX’s IPO roadshow is currently underway, and the buzz appears to be lifting sentiment across the publicly traded space proxies. Per Financial Times reporting, SpaceX’s IPO could raise up to $86 billion at a pitched valuation of $1.78 trillion, with Goldman Sachs as the lead investment bank.

This looks like a classic IPO halo trade, where heightened attention on a private giant lifts adjacent public names. That framing is plausible, not confirmed, and today’s moves also include a healthy dose of rebound action from recent weakness in both Virgin Galactic stock and Rocket Lab stock.

SpaceX Roadshow Buzz Appears to Lift Public Space Proxies The SpaceX listing is one of the most anticipated IPOs in years. The prediction markets agree: Polymarket pricing implies a 98.4% probability of a SpaceX IPO by June 30, with the December 31 deadline trading near 99.4%.

SpaceX’s Form S-1 underscores the scale of the franchise drawing in capital. The company says it has raised over $9 billion of equity capital since 2002, and in 2025 its Connectivity segment generated income from operations of $4,423 million and Segment Adjusted EBITDA of $7,168 million. That kind of profile is bringing fresh eyes to anything labeled “space” on a public exchange.

Virgin Galactic and Rocket Lab are two of the most accessible ways for retail traders to get sector exposure today. Reddit chatter reflects it: an investing-subreddit thread asking “How do you think the SpaceX IPO will affect other space stocks (RKLB, ASTS, LUNR, etc.)?” has been a primary driver of RKLB conversation this week.

Rebound Dynamics Are Doing Some of the Work Today’s pop looks like it’s part of a continuation move. Virgin Galactic stock has been wildly volatile, yet it’s still up 93% over the past month. The fundamentals remain pre-commercial, with Q1 2026 revenue of just $227,000 and a quarterly net loss of $65 million.

However, the longer arc is brutal. Virgin Galactic stock is down 99% over five years, a reminder that IPO-halo enthusiasm and underlying business economics can sit in very different places. CEO Michael Colglazier has stated that the company remains on track to commence flight testing in Q3 and spaceflight in Q4 of this year.

Rocket Lab tells a very different story under the hood. RKLB stock has been volatile heading into today, so the move is partly recovery, yet shares remain up 350% over the past year and 74% year to date.

On the business side, Rocket Lab posted Q1 2026 revenue of $200 million, up 64% year over year, with a backlog of $2.2 billion. CEO Peter Beck declared the quarter “another exceptional quarter with record financial performance of more than $200 million in revenue”, with the Neutron medium-lift rocket on track for a debut launch later in 2026.

What to Watch Into the Close The near-term catalyst calendar is dense. SpaceX’s roadshow feedback, potential pricing as early as June 11, and a possible June 12 debut under ticker SPCX could keep space-trade sentiment elevated, or trigger profit-taking once the listing prints.

Investors can watch whether today’s gains in Virgin Galactic stock and Rocket Lab stock hold into the close, or fade as a typical volatile-name bounce. Both remain speculative tickers, and prudent investors may want to size their positions accordingly and manage their risk around the SpaceX pricing window.

Beyond the IPO, the next concrete catalysts can come from Rocket Lab’s Neutron debut and Virgin Galactic’s Q3 2026 flight-testing milestone. Those are the moments when IPO-halo enthusiasm could meet, or part ways with, the fundamentals.

Leave it to the U.S. government to take a concept like "as easy as one, two, three" -- and make it confusing.

Last week, NASA held a press conference to lay out to the public its plans for establishing a Moon Base that will one day see astronauts residing more or less permanently on Earth's biggest satellite. Running just over an hour, the conference kicked off with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman outlining three stages, starting now and continuing through 2032 and "beyond," during which NASA will build a Moon Base encompassing hundreds of square miles of lunar surface.

That same day, NASA announced precisely three new Moon Base contracts, dubbed Moon Base I, II, and III, hiring private space companies to send lunar landers to the moon. But Isaacman's Moon Base Phases 01, 02, and 03 are not the same thing as the Moon Base I, Moon Base II, and Moon Base III contracts.

Image source: NASA / Edmy S. Cruz Reyes.

Three phases of the Moon Base Let's cover the big picture first -- the phases for building the Moon Base:

Phase 01, running from now through 2029, lays the foundation for subsequent phases and focuses on ensuring "reliable access" to the lunar surface through developing and testing lunar landers and the rockets that will take them to the moon. Autonomous vehicles (space drones and lunar rovers) will be tested on the surface, and communications and observation satellites will be put into orbit. Landings will focus on the lunar South Pole region, specifically on the Shackleton Connecting Ridge, and will be conducted under Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contracts.

Phase 01 accomplished, NASA will shift into Phase 02, which will see the Moon Base reach "initial operating capability" to host astronauts on the lunar surface for short periods by 2032. Semi-permanent habitations will be built, nuclear and solar power established, and pressurized rovers deployed. NASA intends to set up a surface communications system as well, similar to cellphone tower networks on Earth.

This accomplished, from 2032 and beyond, NASA will establish a "semi-permanent" presence on the moon during Phase 03. Astronauts will arrive and work on the surface, probably for months at a time -- similar to how the International Space Station is crewed currently.

Unlike on the space station, which floats alone in a vacuum, the Moon Base in Phase 03 will have access to in situ resources on the moon. Phase 03 will see these resources exploited to build infrastructure (housing, solar panels, factories, and so on) as NASA begins mining the moon. Depending on what NASA finds to extract, the space agency plans to set up a system for sending products back to Earth, establishing the solar system's first interplanetary trade.

Three (or four) missions to get it all started But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Flipping back to Phase 01, NASA has outlined three specific missions it wants to get the ball rolling:

Moon Base 1 will be the first such mission, blasting off no earlier than fall of 2026*. Blue Origin will send its robotic Mk 1 Endurance lander to deliver multiple payloads to Shackleton Connecting Ridge, paving the way for a later crewed landing of Blue's Mk 2 lander in 2028. Blue Origin will later launch a second Mk 1 lander carrying a Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) in late 2027* to search for water ice on the moon.

The second mission, Moon Base 2, aims for an end-of-2026 launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The largest commercial payload ever sent to the moon, Moon Base 2 will deliver an Astrobotic Griffin-1 Endeavor lander with more than 500 kilograms of cargo -- including a Flip Lunar Terrain Vehicle from Astrolab.

Moon Base 3, also scheduled for an end-of-2026 launch, will use a smaller SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to send Intuitive Machines' (LUNR +15.56%) IM-3 lander to the moon. IM-3 will carry payloads from the European Space Agency and Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), as well as a Lunar Vertex payload under the Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) project. This latter payload will investigate "magnetic anomalies" on the moon.

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Finally, NASA includes a MoonFall mission from Firefly Aerospace (FLY +17.80%) in Phase 01, scheduled to take place in 2027. Here, a Firefly Elytra spacecraft will deploy four Jet Propulsion Laboratory MoonFall hopping drones above the lunar surface. These drones will land on and then hop around the moon, mapping the surface and scouting out "locations that are difficult or impossible for traditional rovers to access."

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Tallying it all up In total, NASA plans to conduct 25 launches and 21 landings (it's unclear, for example, whether Elytra will actually land or simply orbit) on the moon. By the time 2029 wraps up, we should have two separate Lunar Terrain Vehicles on the moon, one ground drone, four hoppers, and a VIPER rover -- 4 tons of cargo in all, spread across a Moon Base hundreds of square miles in area.

*The best laid plans of mice and NASA Two days after NASA held its Moon Base press conference, its plans were shaken to the core by a massive explosion that destroyed a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket -- the very rocket Blue Origin intends to use for two of its launches in Phase 01 -- and heavily damaged the company's only launch pad. Blue Origin insists it will be able to repair the damage and resume flying New Glenn rockets before the end of 2026, but even if that's possible, it will delay NASA's Moon Base 1 mission by at least three months -- and probably more.

What this does to the rest of the schedule for the various launches, as well as the long-term planned phases, remains to be seen. NASA plans to award $20 billion worth of Moon Base contracts across the three phases. Investors, however, must now anticipate that the revenue flowing from these contracts could be delayed by months, if not years.

Caveat investor: Space is hard.

Key Takeaways LUNR is evolving from a lunar explorer into a diversified space technology platform.Commercial, civil, and national security customers contributed 35%, 38%, and 27% to Q1 revenues.LUNR is expanding via satellite production, NASA lunar programs, and Space Force opportunities. Intuitive Machines, Inc. (LUNR - Free Report) has traditionally been viewed as a lunar exploration company. While lunar missions remain an important part of its long-term strategy, the company is increasingly evolving into a diversified space technology platform serving commercial, civil and national security customers. During the first quarter, 35% of revenues came from commercial customers, 38% from civil space programs, and 27% from national security initiatives.

The commercial segment continues to benefit from growing demand for satellite manufacturing and space-based services. Through the recently acquired Lanteris Space Systems business, Intuitive Machines now participates in the production of commercial communications satellites and other spacecraft platforms. Projects such as SXM-11 and EchoStar XXV demonstrate the company's expanding presence in commercial satellite markets.

At the same time, the civil space business continues to be supported by NASA programs, including Commercial Lunar Payload Services missions and future Moon Base initiatives. The company continues to advance multiple lunar missions while pursuing larger opportunities tied to long-term lunar infrastructure development.

National security has also become an increasingly important growth driver. Intuitive Machines is participating in multiple Space Development Agency programs and was selected by the U.S. Space Force for the anticipated Andromeda Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract opportunity.

By serving multiple end markets and customers, Intuitive Machines may reduce its dependence on individual contract awards, mission schedules, or government funding cycles. The combination of commercial satellite production, lunar services, communications infrastructure, and national security programs creates several potential growth avenues that can support the business through different market environments.

Companies Leveraging Government & Commercial Space DemandSeveral aerospace and defense companies are also expanding across multiple end markets to create more balanced revenue streams:

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS - Free Report) continues to diversify across defense systems, unmanned platforms, satellite communications, and space-related technologies, reducing reliance on any single government program.

Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB - Free Report) has evolved beyond launch services into spacecraft manufacturing, satellite components, and space systems, creating multiple revenue sources across commercial and government customers.

LUNR Stock’s Earnings EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings per share implies a decrease of 2.38% year over year.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

LUNR Stock Trades at a PremiumIn terms of valuation, LUNR’s forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) is 6.54X, a premium to the industry’s average of 2.5X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

LUNR Stock’s Price PerformanceIn the past three months, the company’s shares have risen 51.9% against the industry’s 13.5% decline.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

LUNR’s Zacks Rank

In this video, Motley Fool contributor Jason Hall breaks down a four-stock basket as an alternative to SpaceX: Rocket Lab Corp (RKLB +9.42%), Intuitive Machines (LUNR +15.56%), AST SpaceMobile (ASTS +11.73%), and Alphabet (GOOG +1.19%)(GOOGL +0.60%).

*Stock prices used were from the Morning of June 10, 2026. The video was published on June 11, 2026.

Jason Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AST SpaceMobile, Alphabet, Intuitive Machines, and Rocket Lab. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Jason Hall is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions remain their own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.