Elon Musk’s SpaceX is targeting Thursday, July 23, for the 13th test flight of its Starship rocket after a dramatic last-second pad abort, as shares of the newly public company (Nasdaq: SPCX) trade below their $135 initial public offering (IPO) price.
Key Takeaways
SpaceX set July 23 for Starship’s 13th test flight after 4 of 33 engines failed to ignite one second before liftoff.SPCX is currently trading at $123, well below its $135 IPO price since the June debut that raised $75B.NASA’s Artemis IV moon landing, scheduled for no earlier than 2028, depends on Starship proving itself as a lander.The mission profile remains unchanged, i.e. a roughly one-hour, space-skimming journey halfway around the world, carrying 20 of SpaceX’s newest Starlink satellites, which will attempt to communicate with orbiting Starlinks while cameras photograph the heat shield. Neither the booster nor the spacecraft is intended for recovery.
A Rough Stretch on the NasdaqThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is watching for different reasons since the agency relies on Starship as the lunar lander that will return astronauts to the moon, and SpaceX and Blue Origin must have their landers operational by next year so Artemis III crews can practice docking procedures. The actual moon landing mission, Artemis IV, is scheduled for no earlier than 2028.
Every delay tightens that timeline and even though Starship has flown a dozen times, the program still must demonstrate orbital refueling and an uncrewed lunar touchdown before astronauts climb aboard.
Thursday’s window now carries double weight given that a clean flight would steady both the program’s Artemis schedule and a stock searching for its footing below the IPO price.
