SpaceX Is Finally Going Public and the Space Industry Is Buzzing

By Rich Smith – Mar 30, 2026 at 4:56PM ESTKey PointsSpaceX may file for IPO this week -- confidentially.Investors probably need to wait another couple of months to see the IPO prospectus.The SpaceX IPO date will happen on or before Elon Musk's birthday.SpaceX took space investors on a roller-coaster ride last week -- and SpaceX isn't even public yet! SpaceX is, however, rumored to have an IPO prospectus ready. But once it's filed, the story won't end; it will only be beginning.

As The Wall Street Journal explained last week, Elon Musk's "unconventional" plan for IPO'ing SpaceX will roll out in stages -- and may not conclude before June 28, Elon Musk's birthday. (He'll be 55, if you're counting candles.) Image source: Getty Images. The beginning of the beginning Everything kicks off with SpaceX filing a "confidential" IPO prospectus, which was rumored last week and may actually happen this week instead. The SEC may then have questions about the filing, which could undergo multiple rounds of revisions before finally being made public a couple of months from now. Only then will investors get a clear picture of SpaceX's annual revenue and earnings. (In the meantime, here are my best guesses.) Run-up to the main event Publication of the prospectus will precede SpaceX's marketing its IPO to potential investors by about two weeks. The success of this "roadshow" (which in SpaceX's case will involve investors hitting the road to visit SpaceX and tour its facilities, rather than SpaceX going on the road to hype itself) will determine the price SpaceX asks for its shares at IPO. The main event This price will be set the day before the actual IPO date. How many shares SpaceX sells at the IPO and the share price it sets will determine both the amount of cash SpaceX raises and the company's initial market capitalization. As of March 28, the numbers are in flux. Citing the usual "people familiar with the deal," WSJ estimates the IPO will raise between $40 billion and $80 billion, making it the biggest IPO in history. Total market capitalization at the time of the IPO is expected to range from $1.5 trillion to $1.75 trillion. What happens after the IPO Whatever valuation SpaceX starts with, Musk is taking pains to ensure it holds on to that price -- and that selling shareholders don't send it into a nosedive. Part 1 of this plan, as we learned earlier this month, is to strong-arm the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 indexes into quickly adding SpaceX stock to their holdings. That way, institutional investors who own the indexes won't be able to dump SpaceX stock without also selling everything else in the index. Part 2, as WSJ reveals, will be to market SpaceX shares heavily to Musk's biggest fans in the individual investor community. Musk may allocate as many as one-third of the shares floated in the IPO to individual investors. He may also encourage Tesla (TSLA 1.82%) shareholders and investors who helped him buy Twitter (now xAI) to participate in the SpaceX IPO. The reason: Such investors number among Musk's biggest fans, and may be less likely to sell their SpaceX shares for a quick profit after the IPO. Other investors will be asked to agree to six-month and longer lockup periods before they're allowed to sell any shares they buy at the IPO. If his plans succeed, the SpaceX IPO could begin as a roaring success -- and then rocket even higher.Read NextMar 30, 2026 •By Howard SmithStock Market Today, March 30: Tesla Slides on EV Pricing Pressure as Investors Await Q1 2026 Delivery DataMar 30, 2026 •By David Jagielski, CPAPrediction: Elon Musk Will Merge Tesla With SpaceX Within 5 YearsMar 30, 2026 •By Leo SunWhere Will Joby Aviation (JOBY) Be in 1 Year?Mar 30, 2026 •By Rich SmithThe Space Sector Is Surging.

Should You Buy AST SpaceMobile and Rocket Lab?Mar 30, 2026 •By Rich SmithWhy Does Planet Labs Stock Keep Going Down?Mar 30, 2026 •By James BrumleyTesla Grew Sales in Europe for the First Time in a Year. Is the Automaker's Stock Set to Soar in 2026?About the AuthorRich Smith is a contributing Motley Fool defense and stock market analyst covering publicly traded and emerging companies in defense, space, aerospace, and other sectors. Prior to The Motley Fool, Rich practiced international corporate law for Clifford Chance in Russia, and for the Russian-Ukrainian Legal Group in Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington, D.C. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the College of William & Mary, a law degree from the University of Baltimore, and a language certification from the International Institute of Russian Language & Culture in Tver, Russian Federation. The Globe and Mail once featured him as “one of the best stock pickers since 2009.”TMFDittyX@RichSmithFoolStocks MentionedTeslaNASDAQ: TSLA$355.25(-1.82%)-$6.58*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.