December 22, 2025 Space Sector Rally: SpaceX IPO Speculation and Executive Order Catalysts

This analysis is based on the Benzinga article published December 22, 2025 [1], which highlighted two catalysts for space sector growth: rumors of a potential 2026 SpaceX IPO and President Donald Trump’s December 18 “Ensuring American Space Superiority” executive order (focused on commercial space leadership and a 2030 permanent lunar base). On the event date, the space sector experienced broad gains, with five stocks recording notable increases [0]:

Company-specific drivers included:

• Intuitive Machines (LUNR)
  : Leadership in “last-mile” lunar operations aligning with the executive order [4].
• AST SpaceMobile (ASTS)
  : Upcoming December 24 BlueBird 6 satellite launch (competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink) [5].
• Rocket Lab (RKLB)
  : $816M Space Force contract and Neutron rocket program [3].

The article mentioned one space stock holds private SpaceX shares, but Alphabet (GOOGL)—a non-pure space stock that invested in SpaceX—did not rise on the event date, so the specific stock remains unconfirmed [0]. The SpaceX IPO lacks official details [2], and the executive order’s implementation (funding/regulatory changes) is unclear [1].

1. Policy-Company Alignment
   : Intuitive Machines’ outperformance underscores market focus on firms matching government space priorities.
2. Competitive Sentiment
   : AST SpaceMobile’s gains reflect investor interest in potential SpaceX rivals.
3. Sector Breadth
   : The rally across diverse space sub-sectors (launch, lunar, satellite communications) indicates strong commercial space excitement.

• Policy tailwinds from the executive order supporting lunar exploration and commercial space.
• Company-specific catalysts: Rocket Lab’s defense contract, AST’s satellite launch.
• SpaceX IPO speculation driving sector attention.

• High volatility: RKLB rose 177% YTD 2025; LUNR surged 50% in the preceding week [6].
• Execution risks: Launch/mission delays/failures for AST and Intuitive Machines [5][4].
• Regulatory uncertainty: FAA/FCC changes from the executive order are unclear [1].
• Unconfirmed details: SpaceX IPO timeline and the stock with private SpaceX shares [1][2].

The December 22 rally was driven by SpaceX IPO rumors and a supportive executive order, with five space stocks posting gains. Intuitive Machines led due to policy alignment, while AST and Rocket Lab benefited from company milestones. The sector offers growth opportunities but carries risks from volatility, execution challenges, and regulatory ambiguity. Investors should monitor official SpaceX announcements, policy implementation, and company-specific milestones for clarity.