Gotrade News - The US space sector rallied on May 28, 2026, as Intuitive Machines jumped 15.7% and Ondas climbed 10.5%. The moves came alongside an FAA order requiring SpaceX to investigate its latest Starship booster mishap.
Investors leaned into the sector despite the regulatory caveat, drawn by NASA contracts, lunar mission catalysts, and an expected SpaceX IPO. Public space names benefited from improving commercial momentum and rising defense-tech interest.
Key Takeaways
- The FAA ordered SpaceX to probe its Starship Flight 12 Super Heavy booster crash from May 22, 2026.
- Intuitive Machines surged 15.7% to $40.34 on NASA Artemis III momentum and a $180.4 million lunar contract.
- Ondas jumped 10.5% to $10.80 ahead of its shareholder meeting and Omnisys defense acquisition vote.
FAA Probe and Starship Setback
According to Investing.com, the FAA ordered SpaceX to investigate the Super Heavy booster crash from Starship Flight 12. The booster fell into the Gulf of Mexico after stage separation on May 22, 2026.
The spacecraft still deployed mock satellites and executed a controlled Indian Ocean splashdown during the mission. The FAA will oversee the probe and approve corrective actions before clearing future Starship and Super Heavy flights.
This was Starship's 12th test flight since 2023 and the debut of the larger V3 iteration. SpaceX has invested more than $15 billion building a fully reusable rocket to lower launch costs and expand Starlink.
Established defense and aerospace contractors stand to benefit if Starship setbacks slow SpaceX's cadence in coming quarters. Public peers such as Rocket Lab (RKLB) and Lockheed Martin (LMT) remain key alternatives for institutional flow.
Public Space Names Lead the Tape
Per Insider Monkey, Intuitive Machines climbed 15.72% on May 28, 2026, closing at $40.34 per share. The rally followed NASA's plan to announce the Artemis III crew on June 9 at the Johnson Space Center.
The company holds a $180.4 million NASA contract awarded in March to deliver science payloads to the lunar South Pole. The delivery includes seven payloads studying chemical composition, regolith structure, and the radiation environment.
Additional sector tailwinds came from SpaceX's anticipated IPO, reportedly targeting around a $2 trillion valuation and $75 billion raise. That backdrop has lifted sentiment across listed commercial space exposures, including peers like Rocket Lab (RKLB).
As reported by Insider Monkey, Ondas climbed 10.54% on May 27, 2026, closing at $10.80. The advance came ahead of the company's annual shareholder meeting on May 28, 2026.
Investors focused on the planned acquisition of Omnisys, an Israeli developer of AI-powered, multi-domain defense planning software. Ondas expects Omnisys to act as a core orchestration layer across its autonomous systems portfolio for mission planning.
Ondas posted $361 million net income in Q1 2026, reversing a $14 million loss in the prior-year period. Revenue surged more than 1,000% to $50.12 million from $4.2 million year-over-year, marking a defense-tech inflection.
The combination of FAA scrutiny on SpaceX and strong moves in listed space names highlights a sector still finding its public-market footing. Traders may use exposures like Lockheed Martin (LMT) to balance speculative names with established defense and aerospace cash flows.
