As the weather warms heading into June, so does the space industry. The much-anticipated SpaceX initial public offering is creating a frenzy among aerospace companies. There are obvious adjacent winners, such as Rocket Lab, which has seen its valuation launch into the stratosphere.
Yet other space stocks are trading at prices that aren't light-years ahead of reality. Let's have a look at which ones are flying under the radar but are worth exploring. The three stocks mentioned below have all performed incredibly well in the short term, but are generally less well-known in the mainstream and have much smaller market values than Rocket Lab.
1. Intuitive Machines is a (literal) Moonshot
Intuitive Machines (LUNR +5.96%) is an interesting company in that its main focus is lunar access and exploration. Moon infrastructure is proving to be big business. The company is expanding its capabilities and earning industry trust as it recently acquired Lanteris Space Systems and collaborates with NASA on the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.
Image source: Getty Images.
Intuitive's backlog has grown to $1.1 billion since it won more than $428 million in new contracts. The company's first-quarter 2026 revenue grew to a record $186 billion, nearly triple the year-earlier figure. In its latest earnings report, management reaffirmed its full-year guidance of $900 million to $1 billion.
The stock has shot to the Moon so far in 2026, up more than 110% as of this writing.
NASDAQ: LUNR
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2. Redwire is an inexpensive ticket to space
Much of the space-related sector trades at sky-high valuations; Redwire (RDW +6.95%), however, is much more reasonably priced. It isn't quite as flashy as some other space-related companies, but it has a portfolio of space infrastructure technologies.
Redwire is diversifying its revenue streams as it leans into its defense business, particularly through the 2025 acquisition of Edge Autonomy. First-quarter 2026 revenue reached $97 million, a nearly 58% increase from last year.
The company also boasts a record backlog of $498 million. Multi-year, multi-million-dollar deals with NATO allies and the U.S. Space Force sent Redwire's shares soaring. The stock has risen about 190% since the start of the year, but it still has a market value of just $4 billion.
NYSE: RDW
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3. Spire Global is worth observing
In what is probably the least-known company on this list, Earth-observation company Spire Global (SPIR +8.35%) operates a satellite network with a surprising number of use cases across industries such as meteorology and aviation.
In a sector with immense levels of spending, Spire Global is a breath of fresh air for its solid financial fundamentals. The company sold its maritime business in 2025 and used the proceeds to pay down debt.
The company anticipates revenue of $75 million to $85 million in 2026, representing 50% year-over-year growth. The stock has gained 145% year to date.
NYSE: SPIR
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To infinity and beyond for these three space companies
There's an influx of capital moving into space-related companies. While the more flashy, headline-grabbing businesses like SpaceX hog the spotlight, there are plenty of under-the-radar stocks that are financially sound and could make for a lucrative long-term investment.
