CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida, July 5, 2026, 09:06 (EDT)
- SpaceX sent up 29 Starlink satellites plus two Besxar semiconductor Fabships from Cape Canaveral.
- Starlink is set to deliver at a pace of one flight every three days in 2026, with the July 5 flight marking its 62nd mission on day 186.
- SPCX was last quoted at $162, trading 20% over the IPO price of $135, ahead of its planned Nasdaq-100 inclusion July 7.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. NASDAQ:SPCX tried out a new use for its Falcon 9 during a regular Starlink launch from Florida, flying recoverable industrial payloads. The rocket took off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:50 a.m. EDT with 29 Starlink satellites and two Besxar Space Industries semiconductor pods loaded on the first stage. The pods rode the rocket for eight minutes and 19 seconds before returning. SpaceX confirmed Starlink deployment at 8:30 a.m. EDT, Spaceflight Now said.
Investors are looking at the booster, not the satellites. Starlink gives SpaceX steady launch activity. Besxar is a testbed for selling or sharing launch slots with industrial research payloads that return with the first stage.
| Latest Starlink launch | Launch site, time | Starlink load | Other payloads | Investor takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starlink 10-50, July 5 | Cape Canaveral, 6:50 a.m. EDT | 29 satellites | Two Besxar Fabships flew with the booster | This mission doubled as a semiconductor recovery test |
| Starlink 17-46, July 1 | Vandenberg, 10:58 p.m. EDT | 24 satellites | No other payloads | Booster B1100 flew for the seventh time; active Starlink fleet passed 10,700 |
The comparison is key since the July 5 launch shifted what would have been a regular Starlink launch into a test run for small semiconductor production, but the main goal didn’t change. According to Space.com, the Starlink 17-46 mission on July 1 launched 24 satellites from California. After that, Starlink had more than 10,700 active satellites, tracker Jonathan McDowell told the outlet.
As of July 5, SpaceX completed 62 Starlink deliveries in 2026, averaging one mission every three days through the first 186 days. If that rate holds, SpaceX is on track for around 122 delivery missions this year, barring delays or extra launches.
Besxar said in October it signed a 12-mission deal with SpaceX to launch its Fabship manufacturing pods on Falcon 9 boosters and recover them after the booster returns. Founder and CEO Ashley Pilipiszyn said, “AI data centers are straining against power and cooling limits,” adding that running regular launch-and-return flights should let Besxar “iterate faster than ever.” BESXAR
That’s a chip supply chain pitch, but it’s mostly still in testing. Besxar says its Fabships are supposed to use the space vacuum for making ultra-pure substrates and precursors. According to Spaceflight Now, the Clipper-class test beds are close to microwave-sized. Pilipiszyn called the early wafer-return runs the “ultimate egg drop challenge.” Spaceflight Now
Nvidia Corp. NASDAQ:NVDA is in the mix, as Besxar says it’s working with Nvidia’s Inception Program early on. Besxar also said its initial Department of Defense contract has started. But it hasn’t said anything about production yield, wafer size, customer pricing or any revenue so far from the Fabship campaign.
| Metric | Reported figure | Market read |
|---|---|---|
| Starlink delivery missions in 2026 through July 5 | 62 | Missions happening about every three days; fast pace leaves slots for some small hosted payloads |
| Besxar launch campaign | 12 Falcon 9 missions | If SpaceX uses the same two-pod setup, that’s 24 Fabship rides that can be recovered |
| Latest displayed SPCX quote | $162 | Now sitting 20% over the IPO price |
| SpaceX IPO price | $135 a share | Used as the starting point for trading after the IPO |
| Nasdaq-100 entry | Before July 7 open | Index tracker funds will need to reset their exposure |
U.S. stock markets were closed at the dateline. According to Nasdaq’s 2026 schedule, July 3 was a holiday for Independence Day. Usual Nasdaq trading runs Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.
SPCX was last spotted at $162 and saw 61.3 million shares change hands in the most recent session. The SpaceX SEC filing put the share price at $135, and the total sale at $75 billion before any over-allotment.
Nasdaq Inc. NASDAQ:NDAQ said SpaceX will join the Nasdaq-100 before trading starts Tuesday, July 7. The Nasdaq-100 is followed by over 200 investment products, with a total of more than $800 billion in assets worldwide, according to the company.
Nasdaq tweaked its rules for the Nasdaq-100, letting the biggest new listings join after day seven under Fast Entry. Stocks with less float get a starting weight cap based on tradable float, maxing out at 33-1/3%.
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