The "Apollo Moment" Is Here: 3 Space Stocks I’m Watching

I've been staring at the Commercial Space sector for months... waiting.

Usually, I stay away. It's too capital-intensive. Too much hype. Too many explosions. But something shifted in the last few weeks of 2025 that forced me to pay attention. It isn't just the Artemis II launch coming up in February—though sending astronauts around the moon is going to create a media frenzy.

The real catalyst is boring. It's bureaucratic.

For most of 2025, government contracts were frozen by budget delays. But with the FY2026 NDAA finally passing, the floodgates are opening. We are looking at a massive release of pent-up capital hitting balance sheets right as the sector gets its "Apollo Moment."

I went looking for the outliers... the companies that win regardless of the noise. If you're new to my analysis process, I use a specific framework to filter noise. Before I even look at a chart, I run every company through my 10x Stock Checklist: My Exact 47-Point Analysis Framework. It saves me from getting burned by "story stocks" that have no revenue.

Here is what made the cut.

This isn't a rocket company. I don't like owning rockets; they are commodities. Planet Labs is a data company.

They operate the largest constellation of earth-observation satellites in orbit. While everyone else is trying to figure out how to get to space, Planet is already there, scanning the entire Earth every single day. They have a 10-year archive of data that is becoming the "ground truth" for agricultural models, defense strategy, and even hedge funds tracking supply chains.

The market still prices this like a burn-heavy hardware startup. That's the mistake. They’ve flipped the switch. They are transitioning from growth-at-all-costs to actual profitability. The financials looked good, but I had to be sure. So I ran it through my 10x Stock Checklist: My Exact 47-Point Analysis Framework... and it passed the "Management Integrity" check with flying colors.

• YoY Revenue Growth: +20% (Q2 '26 Fiscal)
• Gross Margin: ~58% (These are software-like margins, not hardware)
• Cash Runway: ~$271M (Healthy)
• The Moat: A proprietary data library that AI models desperately need for geospatial training.

This is the risky one. My stomach turns a little just looking at the volatility.

Intuitive Machines is building the railroad to the Moon. They are securing contracts for landers, data relays, and surface infrastructure. They recently acquired Lanterra, which was a massive move. But here is the thing that caught my eye: Insider Buying.

A Director bought $2.1M in stock in November. You don't drop two million dollars of your own money if you think the upcoming mission is going to fail.

However, I don't trust the numbers blindly. I pull up the chart on TradingView to check the Volume Profile. If you aren't using their advanced charts yet, you should... it saves me hours of headaches. I set my indicators to the Weekly view to see the bigger picture. Specifically, I look at the RSI... if it's below 30, I'm interested.

If you want to find other stocks like this, use the TradingView Screener and filter for "Market Cap < $2B" and "Rel Vol > 2". It's the easiest way to spot momentum before the news does.

• YoY Revenue Growth: +300%+ (Projected via massive backlog)
• Cash Runway: ~$622M (Bolstered by recent raises)
• Key Catalyst: IM-3 Mission Launch target for Feb 2026.
• The Risk: Mission Failure. If the lander tips over, the stock crashes.

This is the "Pick and Shovel" play. It’s the safest bet on the list.

Redwire doesn't sell the dream of colonization. They sell the solar arrays, the deployables, and the antennas that other companies need to operate. If the European Space Agency or Axiom wants to build something, they call Redwire.

The stock was crushed in 2025 purely because of government budget delays. Those delays are over. Now, we are looking at a mean reversion trade. Management knows it, too—the CEO and officers were buying shares at ~$5.30 back in November.

• YoY Revenue Growth: +50% (Q3 '25)
• Gross Margin: ~27% (Solid for manufacturing)
• Insider Buying: Yes, significant cluster buys recently.
• Cash Runway: ~$89M (This is tight, so keep an eye on it).

📚 Recommended Resources

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I want to be clear... I could be wrong.

Commercial space is graveyard of capital. One failed launch for Intuitive Machines could wipe out 40% of the equity overnight. Planet Labs relies heavily on two main clients for 35% of their revenue—if one walks, the thesis breaks. And Redwire? If the government delays checks again, they run out of cash.

This is not a sector for money you need next month.

I'm starting small.

I'm opening a position in Redwire (RDW) first. The valuation is too low to ignore given the backlog unlock. I am watching for an entry around $5.50.

I'll wait on LUNR until we get closer to the launch window—I want to see the technicals settle.

Investing in small caps is a minefield. If you want to see exactly how I vet these companies to avoid zeroes, grab my 10x Stock Checklist: My Exact 47-Point Analysis Framework. It helps me stay objective when the hype gets loud.

The macro setup for Q1 2026 is undeniable. We have the budget, we have the moon mission, and we have the contracts.

• The Leader: Planet Labs (PL)
• The Disruptor: Intuitive Machines (LUNR)
• The Value: Redwire (RDW)

Before you open a position, make sure it passes your own sniff test. Download my 10x Stock Checklist to run the full audit.