In this piece, we will take a look at the 20 most valuable space companies in the world. If you want to skip our introduction to the global space industry and all the latest news, then you can take a look at the 5 Most Valuable Space Companies in the World.
Just as high technology industries such as genetic engineering and artificial intelligence have rapidly grown at levels that would have been thought unimaginable at the turn of this century, space exploration is another sector that has rapidly captured the public imagination. While space has always been a popular endeavor, after the Space Shuttle’s retirement, the U.S. space industry slowed down at least as far as launch vehicle development is concerned. After the Shuttle, while rockets such as the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas lineup continued to launch top secret national security payloads, the heart of space exploration — crewed missions to low Earth orbit (LEO) and beyond — took place only from Russia.
However, ever since SpaceX successfully flew the Crew Dragon to the International Space Station (ISS) with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida has been bustling with activity. At the same time, other crewed spacecraft commissioned by the space agency have also been developing their spacecraft. While SpaceX’s Crew Dragon remains the only U.S. spacecraft certified by NASA for orbital spaceflight, the other spacecraft currently being developed for NASA contracts is The Boeing Company’s (NYSE:BA) Starliner. Additionally, Sierra Space is developing its Dream Chaser space plane, initially for NASA cargo contracts.
This intermix of private space companies vying for NASA awards is also the 21st century version of the space agency. For the U.S. space industry, NASA’s operating model prior to Shuttle’s retirement saw the agency engage itself with its private space company contractors during every step of a vehicle’s design. Once the design was finished and the end product went through multiple tests certifying it for flight, NASA took ownership of the vehicle and operated it on its now.
Now, the most valuable space companies in the world are those that are capable of operating their own rockets and serving the needs of a myriad of government and private sector contractors in addition to the world’s leading space agency. In fact, the extent to which this principle has taken hold over the space industry is evident by the fact that you really didn’t have to read this piece to know which company is the most valuable space company in the world. SpaceX is a household name by now, and it’s the biggest space company in the world as far as market capitalization is concerned.
While we’ll get to SpaceX’s market capitalization later, the firm’s dominance in the launch vehicle industry is clear by the fact that February 2024 marked a unique achievement for the company and the global space industry. This is because in mid February, before SpaceX launched a mission for the U.S. Space Force, the firm became the only one in human history to have had four rockets vertical at four launch pads. While SpaceX’s rocket launch for the space force was ready for lift off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, it was ready to launch NASA payloads on an Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ:LUNR) lunar lander, had placed the Falcon 9 vertical for a Starlink launch from California and stacked the Starship second stage spacecraft on the Super Heavy booster in Boca Chica, Texas.
This latest tryst came when the space company stock NASDAQ:LUNR soared by double digit percentages on the stock market. Why did Intuitive Machines’s shares soar? Well, its Nova C Odysseus lunar lander marked America’s second attempt to land a lander on the Moon since the Apollo era. The first attempt had come earlier this year, when Pittsburgh based Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander kicked off the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, but Intuitive Machines’s lunar lander seemed to have caught investors’ eyes since it promises to make a lunar landing attempt in just a week after its launch.
The Intuitive Machines Odysseus lunar lander will use a methane powered rocket engine for its journey to the Moon, and the firm successfully managed early post launch complications by feeding new commands to the lander’s guidance and navigation systems from Earth.
The Odysseus launch coupled with the SpaceX Starship and NASA Artemis programs marks a new era for space companies stocks. It also means that companies like SpaceX have started to become like NASA in their operations. Prior to the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon, NASA’s crewed launches were managed by the agency’s controllers. Now, SpaceX is responsible for the astronauts’ journey to the station, and this is not through accident. When it comes to private space companies vs NASA, the space agency also finds it easier to scale up human spaceflight programs by offshoring some of the risks involved in sending humans at speeds of thousands of kilometers per hour in the Earth’s atmosphere and into space. While NASA’s Space Shuttle program completed 133 successful flights over three decades, its two notable accidents that led to the demise of all crew on board are still the biggest criticism that its detractors have.
Finally, before we take the wraps off of the most valuable and biggest space companies in the world, it’s important to note that while firms such as SpaceX and Boeing are among the most widely discussed space stocks, the sector as a whole is quite diversified. Broadly speaking, space stocks can be divided into two categories. The first is of firms that make space vehicles like SpaceX’s Falcon 9, Boeing’s Starliner and SLS for NASA, and Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus. The second belongs to satellite companies such as Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) and Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) whose bread and butter is based on operating imaging, telecommunications, and other satellites. Of course, before anyone points out, SpaceX is also a satellite company since its Starlink satellite internet constellation is now made of nearly six thousand small telecommunications satellites.
With these details in mind, let’s take a look at the most valuable space companies in the world. In this list, some notable space stocks that are publicly available for trading are The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (OTC:MHVYF), and Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT).
A close-up of an antenna, its intricate designs a testament to the company’s expertise in space infrastructure.
Our Methodology
To make our list of the most valuable space companies in the world, we first ranked all publicly traded companies that are either pureplay rocket or satellite companies or have sizeable space business divisions that are relied on by government agencies. Then, a second list of private space companies was made, and if their latest value was available through reliable sources, it was included and the firms were ranked. Out of these, the most valuable space companies in the world were chosen.
Most Valuable Space Companies in the World
20. AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS)
Latest Market Value: $435 million
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) is a telecommunications company that provides connectivity through a space based satellite network. It scored a win in 2024 by winning a U.S. government contract with an undisclosed value. Along with The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (OTC:MHVYF), and Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT), it is one of the most valuable space companies in the world.
19. Varda Space Industries
Latest Market Value: $500 million
Varda Space is a young space company headquartered in California. It is developing technologies to leverage the space economy by manufacturing products in space. The firm’s spacecraft that has spent eight months in orbit as part of an initiative to demonstrate in space manufacturing is due to return to Earth later this month.
18. Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL)
Latest Market Value: $610 million
Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:PL) is an important space company that serves the satellite imagery and mapping needs of government and other customers. These technologies have come into the spotlight after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is now seeing reports surface of nuclear based space warfare.
17. ispace, inc. (TYO:9348.T)
Latest Market Value: $680 million
ispace, inc. (TYO:9348.T) is a Japanese firm that made the news last year after its Hakuto lunar lander crash landed on the Moon after being launched on a SpaceX rocket.
16. Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SPCE)
Latest Market Value: $767 million
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SPCE) is a suborbital space tourism company whose space plane carries joy riders to the boundary of space and Earth and lets them experience weightlessness.
15. Axiom Space
Latest Market Value: $1 billion
Axiom Space is a trail blazer in the private space exploration industry. This is because it allows private individuals to fly to space, and is also planning to build a low Earth orbit (LEO) space station.
14. Firefly Aerospace
Latest Market Value: $1.5 billion
Firefly Aerospace is an American company headquartered in Cedar Park, Texas. It owns and operates its own small lift rocket, is developing another rocket for Northrop Grumman, and also has a lunar lander in the works.
13. EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ:SATS)
Latest Market Value: $1.79 billion
EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ:SATS) is a legacy satellite internet company headquartered in Englewood, Colorado. The firm is best known for its HughesNet satellite internet network which is facing stiff competition from SpaceX’s Starlink.
12. Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:RKLB)
Latest Market Value: $2.73 billion
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:RKLB) is a key player in the small lift rocket market. This segment launches nano, micro and other small satellites, and Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:RKLB) operates the Electron rocket with dozens of launches under its belt including key NASA missions. Additionally, Rocket Lab’s mission for Varda Space that the firm has operated for eight months is a nice example of a space industry niche that has emerged in the aftermath of higher NASA interest in private space companies.
11. IHI Corporation (OTC:IHICY)
Latest Market Value: $3.21 billion
IHI Corporation (OTC:IHICY) is a Japanese company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It makes and sells solid rocket boosters, apogee motors, solid fuel rockets, and sounding rockets.
10. Relativity Space
Latest Market Value: $4.2 billion
Relativity Space is a new age space company that is developing 3D printed rockets and engines. These technologies are slowly making inroads in the industry, with Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander featuring a 3D printed engine for its flight and landing operations.
9. Sierra Nevada
Latest Market Value: $5.3 billion
Sierra Nevada is a well heeled space company that is developing the Dream Chaser space plane. While Dream Chaser lost out on NASA crew contracts, the firm is still eager to ensure that the spaceship can support crewed missions as well.
8. Leonardo S.p.a. (OTC:FINMY)
Latest Market Value: $11.85 billion
Leonardo S.p.a. (OTC:FINMY) is the Italian defense contractor whose subsidiary Thales Alenia is a leading player in the global satellite industry.
7. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (OTC:MHVYF)
Latest Market Value: $24.7 billion
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (OTC:MHVYF) is the Japanese industrial giant with a key presence in the country’s space industry. It is responsible for making Japan’s H2A and H2B rockets that form the backbone of the country’s space capabilities. 1774
6. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)
Latest Market Value: $67.51 billion
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is the sizeable American defense contractor which also plays a crucial role in the space industry. Its Cygnus spacecraft regularly takes cargo to the ISS, and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is also developing a new rocket with Firefly Aerospace to fly the Cygnus.
The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (OTC:MHVYF), and Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) are some of the most valuable space companies in the world.
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Disclosure: None. 20 Most Valuable Space Companies in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.