PhotonBull
Equity Researcher, Co-Runner of Retail Club
Rocket Lab's Neutron delay could drag public space stocks down because the space basket usually trades together. Rocket Lab is likely to pull AST SpaceMobile down with it, especially in a bad market. The delay also pushes back a possible AST launch on Neutron, though that launch was not expected and the news is not necessarily bad for AST directly. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Space stocks such as AST SpaceMobile, Rocket Lab and Planet Labs could see another big run, with SpaceX's earnings and its Nvidia orbital-compute deal as catalysts. SpaceX's StarMind AI1 satellites will carry Nvidia Rubin GPUs and Vera CPUs, moving orbital compute from concept to roadmap; launch, satellite making, optical links and ground infrastructure all sit downstream. If SpaceX insiders shorted space stocks as a hedge, they should cover after the lockup ends, fueling a comeback. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Rocket Lab's delayed Neutron first flight pushes out a key part of its planned launch capacity. Flight one has moved to 2027, at least 1.5 years later than the previously indicated timing; the lack of clearer guidance is frustrating. The stock could fall 50% if it breaks key support, though that downside is conditional. x.com x.com x.comÂ
SpaceX's competitive threat makes AST SpaceMobile less attractive at these levels than SpaceX and Rocket Lab. AST SpaceMobile's weekly chart shows a downtrend and strong outflows, though the stock is near marked support. x.comÂ
Rocket Lab's existing Space Systems business makes Neutron upside optionality rather than the whole investment case. Space Systems supplied $189.5M, about 81% of Q2's record $234M revenue, alongside Electron launches, defense work, satellite manufacturing and components. Delaying Neutron's first launch to 2027 hurts a major catalyst and raises execution questions, but rushing a rocket failure would be costlier. x.comÂ
Repeated Neutron delays undermine the premium on Rocket Lab stock when execution keeps slipping. The company does not live or die by Neutron, but 50x sales was unjustified; even at 26x 2027 sales, a legitimate price suggests another 50% decline. x.com x.comÂ
SpaceX's move makes AST SpaceMobile's future pricing power more uncertain and leaves less room for delays. That makes AST a bearish lean here, despite the real possibility that mobile carriers back it more aggressively if Starlink goes after their customers. AST can still succeed, but execution is far from guaranteed and competition is getting stronger. x.com x.comÂ
Rocket Lab's Neutron delay looks like a manufacturing issue, not a flawed design. Rocket Lab says it identified and mitigated dome voids, but this second setback delays launch revenue; first flight could slip to mid-2027 or later if testing finds more issues. Space Systems is about 81% of revenue and backlog is around $2.4B, sustaining the business as Neutron develops. Rocket Lab could still become a megacap over the next decade. x.comÂ
Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile are not buys because their sales multiples are too high, even after the selloff. Rocket Lab trades at 30x sales after a 14% drawdown, while AST SpaceMobile trades at 138x sales. x.comÂ
Rocket Lab's only 'moat' was Neutron, and its reported launch delay now amounts to cancellation for the investment case. The quoted report puts its inaugural launch in 2027; $2.99 is floated as a possible share price. x.comÂ
Investors rotating into cheaper stocks with more upside should ultimately benefit Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile. Both have already suffered major drawdowns. x.comÂ
AST SpaceMobile's latest quarter shows how far it remains from making money, a very different result from Rocket Lab's. Per @StockSavvyShay, AST's Q1 revenue was $15M versus $37M expected and EPS was -$0.66 versus -$0.20, with 2026 revenue guidance of $175M below estimates, though it holds $3.5B in cash and targets 45 satellites by end-2026. x.comÂ
