Why Intuitive Cars came out, but Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile stocks fell today

Volatility arose among space stocks on Tuesday. Lunar Explorer Actions Intuitive machines (MON 33.41%) rose 35.6% by 3 p.m. ET, but the rocket maker The rocket lab (RKLB -7.51%) and satcom specialist AST SpaceMobile (ASTS -11.09%) decreased — by 6.2% and 12.3%, respectively.

AST’s decline comes after the FCC allowed it Globalstar (NYSE: GSAT) will operate 17 new cell-to-cell satellites that could compete with AST. The FCC also extended Globalstar’s operating license until 2039.

Rocket Lab and AST: ready for liftoff

Momentum traders gathered at Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile in August, anticipating the launch of high-profile space missions soon. Rocket Lab’s stock has surged 40% since Aug. 1 after it delivered a twin “EscaPADE” spacecraft to Cape Canaveral for a mission to Mars.

Shares of AST SpaceMobile rose nearly as much — 30 percent since Aug. 1 — after it delivered five Cape satellites for launch in September. Success should bring the company closer to offering phone-to-cell phone communications via satellite in the United States and eventually around the world. However, competition from Globalstar could limit AST’s growth prospects.

Intuitive machines: to the moon by rover

Further, Intuitive Machines will launch its IM-2 mission to the Moon in late 2024 or early 2025. SpaceNews reports that Intuitive may also bid on a NASA contract to replace Astrobotic Technology on the “VIPER” (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover ) mission to put a rover on the Moon to search for ice near the South Pole.

That reportedly left $84 million under VIPER’s $433.5 million budget — more than twice what Intuitive Machines booked in the entire second quarter, giving Intuitive Machines a strong incentive to bid for work.

Should You Buy Space Stocks?

Here’s what you really need to know about these three space stocks. They are growth stocks, yes, with strong prospects and even stronger sales growth. They are also momentum stocks, valued more on equity than earnings. The Fly reports “unusually active” options traded in at least two out of three in the past two days.

But S&P Global Market Intelligence says Intuitive Machines won’t become profitable until 2026, and Rocket Lab and AST — not until 2027. Investor warning.