SpaceX (SPCX) stock stumbled to a new all-time low ahead of a major mission test tonight, just as it gambles that Starship can take over for the company’s lucrative Falcon launch business.
Per Bloomberg, SpaceX is turning away future space cargo customers on its Falcon 9 rocket to focus more on its larger Starship spacecraft, which is still in testing.
More specifically, SpaceX has started to turn away satellite operators seeking dedicated rides to orbit aboard the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket beyond 2028, sources told Bloomberg. In addition, SpaceX is currently not taking future reservations for its Falcon 9 rideshare program, in which multiple satellite operators hitch a ride to orbit on a single rocket.
SpaceX stock slid 2.7% on Friday, hitting a new closing low of $115.07 and finishing down 7.2% for the week.
Closing off new business and locking out customers to its Falcon program is a big bet on the success of Starship, which is scheduled to launch again tonight, its thirteenth test flight. A test earlier last Thursday was scrubbed after several of the rocket’s engines didn’t fire.
Furthermore, SpaceX has reportedly stopped building some non-reusable components for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, such as the rocket’s upper stage that holds cargo, a source said.
Tonight’s launch will primarily test the booster’s ability to execute a successful launch, stage separation, and return to an offshore landing point in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, Starship will need to deploy 20 Starlink V3 satellites and return to Earth in a controlled descent, with splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
A successful test would be a catalyst for the stock. It would be the first Starship launch since the company’s June 12 IPO. The stock is down around 25% percent since its market debut.
Ship 40 is stacked atop Booster 20 in preparation for Flight 13 at SpaceX’s South Texas facility in Cameron County, Texas, on July 22, 2026. (Photo by Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via Getty Images) · NurPhoto via Getty Images
While investors would like nothing less than a successful launch, Wall Street is taking a more cautious approach.
“There will be plenty to analyze from Flight 13, but over time, we expect both progress and setbacks as SpaceX moves toward its goal of launching Starship dozens of times next year, followed by hundreds of times in 2028, and then thousands beyond,” JPMorgan’s Seth Seifman wrote in a note to clients ahead of last week’s scrubbed launch.
Though the test will provide more data on the rocket’s technical performance, analysts are more interested in the cost and time associated with refurbishing the second stage, given the stress of reentry.
Pras Subramanian is Lead Transportation Reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram.
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