Key Takeaways SPCX shares declined approximately 4.8% Friday, dropping beneath $125 — now trading below its initial public offering price The 13th Starship test flight was canceled after two
Shares of SpaceX tumbled nearly 4.8% during Friday’s trading session, reaching a new post-listing low beneath the $125 threshold. The stock now trades approximately $10 under its debut price from the previous month, officially marking it as a broken initial public offering.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., SPCX
The decline came after the company postponed Starship’s thirteenth test mission, which was called off moments before scheduled liftoff from its Texas facility on Thursday evening.
A pair of Raptor engines mounted on the Super Heavy booster experienced ignition failures, activating an automated safety abort sequence. CEO Elon Musk addressed the situation via social media, indicating that replacement engines would be installed.
“To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed and replaced,” Musk shared online. “Most probable launch timing is early next week.”
This canceled launch represents SpaceX’s first significant challenge since completing its June public offering. The aerospace manufacturer’s valuation has plummeted from its June 16 zenith of $2.64 trillion to approximately $1.65 trillion at Friday’s market opening — representing nearly $1 trillion in erased value.
Notably, the twelfth Starship test mission conducted in May similarly encountered propulsion complications and prompted a Federal Aviation Administration review. Propulsion system dependability continues to emerge as a recurring challenge.
Starship represents a cornerstone of multiple critical objectives for SpaceX’s future operations. The vehicle stands as the only rocket presently designed to transport Musk’s advanced V2 Mobile and V3 Starlink satellites into orbital deployment.
Additionally, NASA has designated Starship as the lunar landing system for transporting astronauts back to the moon’s surface through the Artemis program’s Human Landing System initiative.
Myles Walton from Wolfe Research indicated that a successful thirteenth flight would strengthen investor sentiment before SpaceX conducts its maiden earnings presentation, anticipated in early August.
Walton also highlighted upcoming liquidity concerns. Approximately 1.2 billion additional shares are projected to become tradeable in August.
“Getting a clean Flight 13 will be important to have into that potential supply influx, particularly given the persistent stock fade in recent weeks,” Walton stated.
The equity has experienced consistent pressure since reaching its post-IPO peak, sliding beneath its offering price earlier in the week before Friday’s session amplified those declines.
Despite the negative price action, certain market observers suggest the selloff may be excessive. A brief postponement to swap out engines represents standard procedure in aerospace development — and potentially demonstrates prudent safety protocols rather than launching with malfunctioning components.
Shares were changing hands around $124.80 during midday Friday trading, within a 52-week trading range spanning $122.14 to $225.64.
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