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SpaceX Stock Falls 1.4% After Starship Flight 14 Delay
Why is SpaceX stock down today?
SpaceX (SPCX) stock fell 1.4% to $152.71 on Friday after the company delayed Starship Flight 14, its first orbital mission, to September 28 with FAA approval still pending.
Key numbers
| SPCX daily move | -1.4%-$2.10 to close at $152.71 |
|---|---|
| New launch date | Sept. 28, 2026+6 days vs. Sept. 22 original target |
| SpaceX market cap | $2.07T+13% vs. $135 IPO price on June 12 |
| Q2 2026 revenue | $7.8B+92% year over year |
| Flight 14 V3 payload capacity | 26 Tbps26 satellites × 1 Tbps each |
| FAA launch license | PendingEnvironmental review already cleared |
What happened
SpaceX (SPCX) stock fell 1.4% to $152.71 on Friday after the company delayed Starship Flight 14, its first orbital mission, to September 28 with FAA approval still pending. SpaceX gave no reason for the six-day delay from its previous September 22 target. The FAA still needs to issue a launch license; the agency had cleared an environmental review for the mission but has not yet approved the actual launch. Flight 14 will deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites, each adding 1 terabit per second of internet capacity — roughly ten times more per launch than an older Falcon 9 mission.
Why it matters
SpaceX stock has been publicly traded for just three months at a $2.07 trillion valuation, and every Starship milestone now carries extra weight for investors watching whether that price tag is justified. This flight would be the first to complete a full orbit of Earth and the first to deliver a commercial payload — a major step beyond pure hardware testing. Another delay or a problem on September 28 could put fresh pressure on a stock that has been volatile since its June IPO debut.
Who this affects
- MarketbearishLow impact
- Space sector stocks saw minor selling pressure Friday.
- CompanybearishLow impact
- SPCX fell 1.4%; FAA hold adds short-term launch uncertainty.
- CompetitorsneutralLow impact
- Rocket Lab and Intuitive Machines unaffected by delay.
- IndustryneutralMedium impact
- FAA emerging as key gatekeeper for commercial spaceflight milestones.
SpaceX vs Rocket Lab, Intuitive Machines
| SpaceXSPCX:NASDAQ | $2.07T | -1.4% | ~111x | $18.7B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket LabRKLB:NASDAQ | $38B | — | ~49x | $769M |
| Intuitive MachinesLUNR:NASDAQ | ~$2B | +2.6% | — | — |
As of 2026-09-20
How we got here
SpaceX IPO on Nasdaq at $135/share, $1.77T valuation
FAA clears environmental review for Flight 14 landing catch
SpaceX publishes Flight 14 mission details; targets NET Sept. 22
SpaceX posts new Sept. 28 launch date with no explanation
NET launch date for Starship Flight 14, pending FAA license
What to watch
- FAA launch license decision needed before Sept. 28 flight2026-09-28
- Starship in-orbit deployment of 26 Starlink V3 satellites if launched2026-09-28
- SpaceX Q3 2026 earnings; analysts watch Starlink subscriber and revenue growthQ4 2026
Educational content only. Not investment advice.
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