SpaceX Tops Aerospace-Defense Market Valuation

Elon Musk's pioneering rocket company, SpaceX, has secured an impressive valuation of $175 billion. This makes it not only the most valuable aerospace-and-defense firm in the West but possibly in the entire world.

Unlike publicly traded stocks, SpaceX stock is not available for public trading. Instead, it is being evaluated at $95 per share in a secondary sale. In this context, the stock is being sold by existing shareholders rather than the company itself.

SpaceX has not yet responded to requests for comments on the sale and its current valuation.

Valuing both publicly and privately held companies follows a similar process. Based on the $95 per share price, SpaceX currently has approximately 1.85 billion outstanding shares.

While some of the largest defense companies globally are privately held Chinese firms, their market capitalizations are unlikely to surpass SpaceX's impressive $175 billion valuation, considering the estimated scale of their business operations.

Boeing, however, takes the lead in the Western market when considering the inclusion of debt. Valued at $190 billion as an entity, Boeing surpasses SpaceX in total value. Nonetheless, it remains unclear how much debt SpaceX carries.

Completing the top five aerospace-and-defense companies in the West are RTX (formerly called Raytheon) in third place, followed by General Electric in fourth place. Lockheed Martin secures the fifth position, with Airbus following closely behind.

The unprecedented valuation of SpaceX demonstrates its industry dominance and underscores Elon Musk's visionary leadership in revolutionizing space exploration.

SpaceX: Revolutionizing the Space Industry

Space exploration has always been a captivating field, but no company has had a more profound impact than SpaceX. While Lockheed, Boeing, and Airbus all have their space businesses, SpaceX has emerged as the undeniable leader in the industry. With its groundbreaking reusable rocket technology, the company is set to launch more than half of this year's orbital missions, carrying a staggering 80% of the total mass into space. It's safe to say that SpaceX's dominance is unmatched.

This unparalleled success has led to a significant increase in the company's valuation. As the de facto gatekeeper to space, SpaceX's lower costs are not only reshaping the industry but also enabling new ventures like Starlink – its space-based Wi-Fi service. By providing affordable access to space, SpaceX is paving the way for a host of innovative businesses to thrive.

The recent funding round for SpaceX required a minimum investment of $50,000 from participating investors. As for when regular investors will have the opportunity to own a part of SpaceX, it remains uncertain. Elon Musk, the visionary behind the company, has hinted at the possibility of taking Starlink public, but only once it becomes profitable. According to Musk's tweet in November, Starlink is currently at a cash flow "break-even" point, inching closer to profitability.

While an initial public offering (IPO) for either Starlink or SpaceX is not yet imminent, the interest from investors would undoubtedly be immense. After all, space exploration has always captured the imagination of people around the world. For now, the fate of SpaceX and its potential IPO rests in Musk's hands.