Shares of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) are edging higher Thursday morning. Here’s what’s driving the action.

Starship Reaches Orbit, Deploys Starlink Satellites

A key operational milestone came Monday when SpaceX launched Starship Flight 14 from Starbase, Texas. SpaceX said the mission marked Starship’s first attempt to reach orbit and the first time the vehicle delivered a meaningful payload to orbit, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites.

The mission represented a significant step in SpaceX’s effort to develop Starship into a fully and rapidly reusable transportation system. However, Flight 14 was classified as an expended mission rather than a recovered flight. The Starship upper stage completed a controlled reentry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, while the Super Heavy booster ultimately completed its planned landing-burn test and splashed down in the Gulf.

The mission did not proceed entirely as planned. SpaceX said one of Starship’s six Raptor engines shut down during ascent. Starship nevertheless continued to orbit, deployed all 26 Starlink V3 satellites and later completed a controlled reentry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The mission ended after roughly three hours, well short of the nearly 10-hour flight profile originally planned.

Triple-Launch Window Adds Operational Momentum

Adding to the operational pace, SpaceX is targeting a rare single-day triple-launch milestone on Thursday. The company is scheduled to launch NASA’s Crew-13 mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 11:10 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral, sending four astronauts to the International Space Station aboard the Dragon spacecraft Grace.

Shortly after, SpaceX is targeting an 11:18 a.m. PT window for its Transporter-18 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, delivering 130 payloads to low-Earth orbit.

Later Thursday at 11:53 p.m. ET, a Falcon Heavy rocket is slated to lift off from Kennedy Space Center carrying the classified NROL-97 payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. If all three liftoffs proceed as scheduled, SpaceX will complete three orbital launches within a 13-hour window.

Filtronic Lands $68.1 Million SpaceX Order

SpaceX also remained in focus Thursday after U.K.-based Filtronic plc announced a $68.1 million follow-on order from SpaceX.

Filtronic said the order covers its Cerus E-band gallium nitride solid-state power amplifier units and represents the largest order the company has received from SpaceX. The company expects to fulfill a substantial portion of the order during fiscal 2028. Filtronic said the technology is used in demanding communications applications, including low-Earth-orbit satellite communications, and that the order strengthens its strategic relationship with SpaceX.

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Nasdaq-100 Rebalancing Boosts SpaceX Weight

SpaceX also received increased representation in the Nasdaq-100 earlier in September.

The index’s quarterly rebalance took effect Monday, raising SpaceX’s weighting to 2.82% from approximately 1.28%. The higher weighting could result in billions of dollars of additional buying by passive funds and exchange-traded funds that track the index.

SPCX Shares Edge Higher Thursday Morning

SPCX Price Action: SpaceX shares were up 1.21% at $152.69 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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