SpaceX announced the date of the next Starship flight—and its stock soared. Why is it so important?
In previous tests, SpaceX was able to examine the Starship upper stage for the first time after it fell into the ocean / Photo: X / SpaceX
Elon Musk’s space company, SpaceX, plans to conduct a test of the reusable Starship rocket on September 22. The launch window will open at 8:15 a.m. Eastern Time, according to the mission page. This will be the 14th test of the spacecraft: for the first time, the upper stage is expected to reach a stable low Earth orbit and complete six orbits around the Earth. As part of the mission, SpaceX also plans to launch third-generation Starlink V3 satellites.
Investors reacted positively to the news. SpaceX shares rose more than 5% during trading on September 16, while the S&P 500 broad market index fell 0.5% following the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates.
As a result, SpaceX shares closed the session roughly 11% above their IPO price from June. Since the company went public, its stock price has risen as high as $225.64 and fallen as low as $104.83. Investors continue to weigh SpaceX’s valuation of more than $1 trillion against rising revenue forecasts, selling pressure from early shareholders, and corporate developments, including Starship tests, Barron’s explains.
The previous, 13th test, which took place in July, was successful but put shareholders on edge: due to launch delays, investors experienced several waves of stock sell-offs. The booster ultimately successfully performed a return maneuver and splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, while the Starship upper stage deployed 20 Starlink V3 satellites and reignited its Raptor engine in space. The upper stage then splashed down in the Indian Ocean. Unexpectedly, it was recovered, giving SpaceX a rare opportunity to examine the spacecraft’s heat shield: in all previous tests, the upper stage had been destroyed after splashing down in the ocean.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of Starship to SpaceX, notes Barron’s. The successful deployment of the spacecraft could significantly reduce the cost of space launches and increase their payload capacity. This is necessary both for launching more powerful Starlink satellites and further growing SpaceX’s communications business, as well as for developing its AI division, on which many investors are placing their main bets. The company already operates ground-based data centers for artificial intelligence,
and in the future plans to move part of its computing infrastructure into orbit: the Starmind satellites are expected to form a constellation of AI computers similar to Starlink. Barron’s considers all of this to be key factors capable of supporting SpaceX’s long-term valuation.
This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor
