Space Industry and Business News
ROCKET SCIENCE
SpaceX eyes IPO timed to planet alignment and Musk birthday: report

SpaceX eyes IPO timed to planet alignment and Musk birthday: report

by AFP Staff Writers
San Francisco, United States (AFP) Jan 28, 2026

SpaceX is targeting a mid-June initial public offering that would coincide with a rare planetary alignment and founder Elon Musk's birthday, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, as the billionaire entrepreneur seeks to raise a record $50 billion.

The rocket company is planning its IPO for when Jupiter and Venus appear very close together in the sky -- a conjunction that occurs for the first time in more than three years on June 8-9, the FT said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The timing, which the report said was subject to change, also aligns closely with June 28, Musk's 54th birthday.

SpaceX is seeking to raise as much as $50 billion at a valuation of roughly $1.5 trillion, according to the Financial Times.

That would make it the largest public listing in history, far exceeding the $29 billion raised by Saudi Aramco in 2019.

The unusual IPO timing underscores Musk's history of mixing personal whims with business decisions.

In 2018, he tweeted about taking Tesla private at $420 per share - a price widely understood as a reference to 420, slang for cannabis consumption.

SpaceX dominates the space launch market with its reusable rockets and owns the largest satellite constellation through Starlink.

Musk had previously opposed an IPO for SpaceX because he had not enjoyed the required scrutiny of publicly-traded Tesla, and feared that the market's desire for financial returns was at odds with his ultimate goal of settling Mars.

But the company's latest priorities will require significant investment, prompting Musk to opt for an IPO.

These include developing Starship, the largest rocket ever built, for missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as plans to build space-based data centers for artificial intelligence.

Related Links
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
ROCKET SCIENCE
Elon Musk hints at buying Ryanair amid Starlink spat
Dublin (AFP) Jan 20, 2026
US tech boss Elon Musk has polled followers on his social network X about buying Ryanair, stoking a clash with the airline's boss Michael O'Leary over using the Starlink system onboard to use the internet. By late Tuesday, lowcost carrier Ryanair had not replied to a request from AFP to respond to the poll that was posted Monday, with more than 900,000 participants. Musk, who founded Tesla and heads Starlink - a satellite internet system developed by his aerospace company SpaceX - has been sug ... read more

ROCKET SCIENCE
Understanding USDT How Stablecoins Maintain Value in Volatile Markets

Top 7 Free Coin Value Apps for Android and iPhone

Seismic networks offer new way to track space junk reentering atmosphere

Comtech wins multi-million dollar follow-on contract for civil space components

ROCKET SCIENCE
Aalyria spacetime platform tapped for AFRL space data network trials

Balerion backs Northwood to tackle ground bottlenecks in expanding space economy

W5 Technologies LEO payload extends MUOS coverage into polar and remote theaters

Eutelsat orders 340 new OneWeb LEO satellites from Airbus

ROCKET SCIENCE
ROCKET SCIENCE
Bats use sound flow to steer through cluttered habitats

China tracks surge in geospatial information industry

When 5G networks bolster satellite navigation

LEO internet satellites bolster navigation where GPS is weak

ROCKET SCIENCE
Stratoship alliance charts staged path for smallsat payloads

Indonesia receives first batch of French-made Rafale jets

AI search tool helps design next generation hydrogen jet engine

US air authority warns of 'military activities' over Mexico, Central America

ROCKET SCIENCE
Light driven charging turns gold nanorods into nanocapacitors

Micron builds $24 bn Singapore chip fab as AI demand soars

An earthquake on a chip: New tech could make smartphones smaller, faster

US strikes deal with Taiwan to cut tariffs, boost chip investment

ROCKET SCIENCE
Spire weather data to power AiDASH vegetation and outage risk tools

New European Infrared Sounder Maps Atmosphere In Three Dimensions

HawkEye 360 boosts RF coverage with new Cluster 13 satellites

NASA advances space based tracking of marine debris

ROCKET SCIENCE
UK court denies BHP bid to appeal Brazil mine disaster ruling

Health threat of global plastics projected to soar; Tire companies face US trial on additive said to kill salmon

Activists urge halt to Kushner's luxury Albania resort plans

Tire companies face US trial on additive said to kill salmon

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.