Waiting for the SpaceX IPO to get rich? These 3 stocks under $50 could skyrocket much, much higher (and you can buy them now)

Reports suggest SpaceX is targeting a valuation of at least $1.8 trillion in its IPO, with the company expected to make its historic stock-market debut this month.

For everyday investors, there’s just one problem: getting shares at the IPO price may not be easy. The biggest allocations often go to institutions and wealthy clients first, leaving regular investors fighting for whatever is left — if they get access at all.

But that doesn’t mean investors have to wait on the launchpad.

The rise of SpaceX has created an entire ecosystem of public companies already riding the same space-investing wave — from satellite networks and space infrastructure to data, defense and lunar missions. And unlike SpaceX, some of these stocks are already trading on the open market — for less than $50 a share.

If the SpaceX IPO sends investors hunting for the next big space winner, some of these names could find themselves in the liftoff zone.

So here’s a look at three stocks riding that wave now — Wall Street also sees substantial upside in this trio.

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Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ:LUNR)

If SpaceX has made rockets the star of the show, Intuitive Machines is focused on what happens after the launch.

The Houston-based company is building around one of the next big frontiers in commercial space: the moon. Its business spans lunar landers, payload delivery, space communications and infrastructure services — the kinds of capabilities NASA and other customers may need as space becomes less of a one-off mission and more of a permanent operating environment.

The numbers have helped fuel the excitement. Intuitive Machines reported Q1 revenue of $186.7 million, nearly triple the year-earlier period, while its backlog climbed to a record $1.1 billion. The company also reaffirmed its 2026 revenue outlook of $900 million to $1 billion.

Intuitive Machines stock has more than doubled year to date, and Roth Capital Partners analyst Sujeeva De Silva sees more upside on the horizon. De Silva has a “Buy” rating on the stock and a price target of $75 — 97% above where the stock sits today, according to Tipranks.

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Spire Global (NYSE:SPIR)

Not every space stock needs to be about rockets.

Spire Global is focused on a quieter but increasingly important part of the space economy: data. The company uses its satellite network to collect information about weather, aviation, ships and other activity on Earth, then turns that data into insights for government and commercial customers.

That gives Spire Global a different kind of SpaceX-adjacent angle. As satellites become cheaper to launch and more common in orbit, the real value may not come only from getting hardware into space, but also from the information those satellites send back.

In Q1 of 2026, the company earned $15.8 million of revenue, above the high end of its guidance, while revenue excluding its sold maritime business rose 13% from a year earlier.

Canaccord Genuity analyst Austin Moeller has a “Buy” rating on Spire Global with a price target of $22.5 — around 10% above the current levels.

MDA Space (NYSE:MDA)

For investors who want a space stock with a little more operating heft, MDA Space offers a different kind of moonshot.

The Canadian space technology company works across satellites, robotics, space operations and geointelligence — putting it in the middle of several trends that could benefit if SpaceX’s IPO pushes more attention toward the space economy.

MDA Space is not just a concept stock. The company reported Q1 revenue of CA$464.1 million, up 32.2% from a year earlier, while adjusted EBITDA rose to CA$90.6 million. It also ended the quarter with a backlog of CA$3.7 billion, giving the business meaningful revenue visibility.

That backlog matters. Space may be a futuristic industry, but investors still want evidence that customers are actually signing contracts and paying for real work. MDA’s exposure to satellite systems, government customers and space infrastructure gives it a more established profile than some of the smaller, more speculative names in the sector.

Its NYSE-listed shares trade at around $42.50 as of this writing. Beacon Securities analyst Russell Stanley has a “Buy” rating on MDA Space with a price target of $73, implying a potential upside of 71%.

A little advice can go a long way

If the idea of picking stocks yourself seems intimidating, you can also reach out to the experts. After all, the basis of good investing is understanding where exactly you’re putting your money. Investing in a company you don’t understand is a lot like playing poker blindfolded.

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A finer alternative

At the end of the day, stocks can be volatile — especially when they’re tied to red-hot sectors like space. And with U.S. stock market valuations stretched near historic highs, some experts have been sounding the alarm.

“It’s likely there’ll be a 10 to 20% drawdown in equity markets sometime in the next 12 to 24 months.”