Terminal Count: SpaceX tops valuation charts

This week we’re discussing SpaceX’s recent valuation of $350 billion, a staggering higher valuation than what was previously expected. Blue Origin is also still attempting to launch its first New Glenn rocket but is apparently battling regulators to get approval to complete its pre-launch tests.

This week’s launches

• December 17 (Tuesday)
  • Space One | KAIROS | Flight 2 | 9:00 P.M. ET
    • Space One Launch Pad, Space Port Kii, Japan
• December 19 (Thursday)
  • Galactic Energy | Ceres 1S | Unknown Payload | 5:20 A.M. ET
    • Oriental Spaceport Launch Ship, China Coastal Waters
  • Rocket Lab | Electron | Owl The Way Up | 9:00 A.M. ET
    • LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand
• December 20 (Friday)
  • SpaceX | Falcon 9 | Bandwagon-2 | 3:53 A.M. PT
    • SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
  • CASC | Long March 3 | Unknown Payload | 10:10 A.M. ET
    • LC-2, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China
  • SpaceX | Falcon 9 | Astranis Block 2 Mission | 10:30 P.M. ET
    • SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
  • SpaceX | Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 12-2 | 11:28 P.M. ET
    • LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
• December 22 (Sunday)
  • CASC | Long March 8 | G60 Group | 8:00 P.M. ET
    • Commercial LC-1, Wenchang Space Launch Site, China

In the news

SpaceX static fired both its Ship 33 and Booster 14 over the last week as it gets ready for Starship Flight 7. The mission will likely be similar to Flight 5 and Flight 6 in profile as it gathers flight data on the new Block 2 Starship upper stage. [Space Explored]

In a recent post on X by NASA astronaut Don Pettit, the current ISS resident shows a video of hundreds of satellites dancing across the horizon. The view shows just how congested LEO has become and how much more it will become as new mega constellations begin launching into orbit. [Don Pettit]

ULA’s CEO, Tory Bruno, is confident they will get their Vulcan rocket certified soon, although he isn’t sure what that timeline looks like. Vulcan flew its two required certification missions this year, both successful; however, the second launch featured an SRM anomaly that is holding up the Space Force from certifying the rocket just yet. [Breaking Defense]

Equatorial Launch Australia is packing up and moving to a new location as negotiations have soured between it and local land managers. The small spaceport featured three suborbital launches from NASA in 2022 but has yet to see any orbital missions expected by the spaceport operators. ELA will move to a new plot of land near Cape York. [Australian Broadcasting Corporation]

SpaceX reaches new valuation, marking it the most valuable private company

In a recent stock tender offer, SpaceX is buying back shares from early investors and employees for $185 a share. The offer also allows new investors to buy into the number one launcher and satellite operator in the world.

That $185 share price puts SpaceX at a new valuation of $350 billion, surpassing ByteDance to become the most valued private company. SpaceX has also soared past all other defense contractors in valuations as well.

This new valuation is a massive increase since its last tender offer put it at $210 billion earlier this year. The new record high valuation is believed to be due to Elon Musk’s new close ties with President-Elect Donald Trump and growth in Starlink internet.

It has been a long-standing belief by Musk that SpaceX shares will not be sold publicly until a Martian colony is secured. So for now, it seems like the best way to own SpaceX stock is to work for SpaceX.

Blue Origin still hopes to launch by year’s end

For about a month, Blue Origin has had its first flight-ready New Glenn rocket at its launch site conducting tests ahead of a potential launch. The company put out an update saying that it is ready to launch its Blue Ring demonstration mission as soon as regulators approve its ability to static fire the rocket and launch it.

Blue Origin’s first New Glenn launch was originally slated to be NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars, but delays and NASA’s rightful fear of more delays led that to be pushed to a future launch.

The company is still hoping to launch by the end of 2024, giving it only about two weeks left to get approval and then launch, and do this around two massive holidays. It is more than likely that New Glenn’s debut will be in January rather than by December 31.