Top News

• William Blair named Rocket Lab and Blue Origin among SpaceX’s most capable and innovative rivals.
• The analyst said SpaceX still holds more than 90% market share and is a decade ahead.
• Starlink has crossed 12 million users and recently demonstrated up to 20 Gbps through bonded gateways.

Shares of Rocket Lab (RKLB) rose over 1% overnight late Thursday trading after a William Blair analyst called the company among the most “competent, capable and innovative” rivals to SpaceX in the intensifying commercial space race.

RKLB stock declined 1% on Thursday, with shares also down 18% so far this week. 

Analyst Names RKLB A Top SpaceX Rival

William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma acknowledged that there is still strong demand for alternatives to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Starship rockets: “There is an appetite for a competitor to Starship and Falcon 9.” He identified Rocket Lab and Blue Origin as the strongest contenders, according to a Bloomberg interview.

“Blue Origin, as well as Rocket Lab, represent the most competent and capable and innovative competitors,” DiPalma said, while also stressing the size of SpaceX’s lead: “SpaceX has a 90%-plus market share. They’re a decade ahead.” He added that SpaceX’s launch business alone should be worth “more than triple” the rest of the market combined.

DiPalma valued SpaceX’s launch operation at $300 billion within a total company valuation of about $2.2 trillion, but said that Starlink and the company’s data-center ambitions are now the bigger value drivers. “Starlink has, quite honestly, taken over the entire telecom industry,” the analyst said.

Late Thursday, Elon Musk said on X that Starlink can now provide “reliable 10 Gbps symmetric send/receive connectivity anywhere in the world.” Starlink also said it has delivered peak symmetric speeds of up to 10 Gbps in Utqiagvik, Alaska, and up to 20 Gbps through bonded gateways. The network crossed 12 million active customers across more than 160 countries and territories last week, up from nine million in its 2025 progress report.

Rocket Lab Builds A SpaceX-Style Platform 

Rocket Lab is pursuing a similar vertically integrated strategy through its $8 billion acquisition of Iridium Communications. The deal combines Rocket Lab’s launch and spacecraft operations with Iridium’s global communications network, spectrum and recurring satellite services. CEO Peter Beck said launch and spacecraft manufacturing were already two pillars of Rocket Lab’s business, but “the third leg of the stool was always an application.” He called the combined company a “fully integrated self-launching space superpower.”

Morgan Stanley recently said that the Iridium deal moves Rocket Lab closer to a SpaceX-style model and positions it as a “vertically integrated space platform” spanning launch, spacecraft, space systems and connectivity.

Rocket Lab also strengthened its execution case this week by completing the U.S. Space Force’s Victus Haze mission. The company launched just 16 hours and 42 minutes after receiving notice and completed commissioning and proximity operations ahead of schedule.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About RKLB?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for RKLB was ‘bearish’ amid ‘normal’ message volume.

One user said, “$RKLB Neutron is key here. SpaceX already booked out until 2029 for their launches. There is overwhelming demand for Nehtron and they need to execute. No more delays”

Another user said, “$RKLB 150 by October, could be 200 by early 2027. Shorting space sector would be an IQ deficiency”

RKLB stock has surged 111% over the past year. 

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