U.S. and China Advance Lunar Programs as SpaceX Prepares IPO

U.S. and China maintain active programs aimed at lunar missions. SpaceX, founded in 2002, plans an initial public offering within weeks. SpaceX developed reusable Falcon rockets and operates more than 10,000 Starlink satellites. The company accounted for more than 80 percent of global rocket launches last year.

Lab builds small and medium rockets and supplies launch services along with satellite manufacturing. Virgin Galactic offers crewed flights for private individuals, researchers, and government agencies. AST SpaceMobile is developing a constellation of BlueBird satellites to provide cellular broadband from orbit.

Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines each landed robotic vehicles on the lunar surface last year.

Martin formed the United Launch Alliance joint venture to develop rockets for government payloads. Boeing also built the Space Launch System for NASA’s Artemis program, while Lockheed Martin developed the Orion capsule. Northrop Grumman designed and built the James Webb Space Telescope and supplies satellites and on-orbit refueling systems.

RTX, General Dynamics, L3Harris, and Leidos provide additional components and services used in space programs. Planet Labs, BlackSky Technology, and Spire Global operate satellite constellations that deliver imagery, aircraft tracking, and weather data.