The space economy is having a moment.
SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket and satellite company, is targeting a Nasdaq debut around 12 June 2026 under the ticker SPCX, aiming for a valuation of between US$1.7 trillion and US$2 trillion.
This would make it the largest stock market debut in history.
The announcement has sent a wave of excitement through the global space sector, with investors scrambling to find ways to gain exposure before and after the listing.
For Australian investors, one ASX-listed company and another newly launched ETF offer the most direct and interesting connection to the space boom.
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Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (ASX: EOS)
Electro Optic Systems is primarily known as an ASX defence stock, and for good reason: the company has risen more than 430% over the past twelve months.
This is on the back of a record contract pipeline in counter-drone and directed energy systems.
However, many investors overlook that EOS also operates a dedicated Space Systems division, providing laser tracking and communications technology to satellite operators worldwide.
The EOS Space Systems division is one of only a handful of companies globally that can track, communicate with, and manage satellites using advanced electro-optic laser systems, a capability that becomes increasingly valuable as the number of satellites in low Earth orbit grows exponentially.
SpaceX's Starlink constellation alone now has more than 10,300 satellites in orbit, with plans to deploy tens of thousands more.
Every satellite launched creates demand for the kind of precision tracking and communications infrastructure that EOS provides.
Earlier in 2026, EOS was appointed to the Australian Space Agency's advisory council, a signal of the company's growing relevance in Australia's nascent space sector.
Most recently, EOS launched a $175 million capital raising to fund the acquisition of MARSS, a European command-and-control and AI software business that will significantly expand its integrated counter-drone and space systems capability.
At its AGM, EOS chair Garry Hounsell confirmed the company's turnaround phase is now complete and that 60% to 80% of its $726 million order book is expected to convert to revenue in 2026 and 2027.
Betashares Space Industry ETF (ASX: RCKT)
For Australian investors who want exposure to the global space economy without opening an international brokerage account, the Betashares Space Industry ETF offers a timely solution.
The fund only debuted on the ASX on 12 May 2026, making it one of the newest and most thematically specific ETFs available to Australian investors.
RCKT holds 28 underlying space companies globally, with its two largest positions being Rocket Lab at 13.1% and AST SpaceMobile at 10.2%, giving investors concentrated exposure to the two most talked-about listed alternatives to SpaceX.
Other holdings span satellite operators, launch providers, and space infrastructure businesses across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
The fund listed at $14 per unit and is already attracting significant interest as the SpaceX IPO draws attention to the broader space economy.
For investors who believe the space sector is entering a sustained period of commercial growth but do not want to pick individual winners, RCKT provides a diversified and low-friction way to participate in the theme on the ASX.
Foolish Takeaway
The SpaceX IPO will not transform space investing overnight, but it will draw significant attention and capital into the sector in the months ahead.
EOS offers ASX investors a rare domestic play on the space economy.
The company combines a world-class defence contract pipeline with laser tracking and satellite communications technology that becomes more valuable as the number of objects in orbit grows.
RCKT, meanwhile, gives investors a simple, diversified way to back the entire global space economy through a single ASX trade, with Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile doing the heavy lifting within the fund.
Both carry meaningful risk, and the space sector is not for investors who cannot stomach volatility.
But for those with a long-term horizon and conviction in the space economy theme, both deserve serious attention.
