Shooting Stars: Rocket Lab Breaks Records (And Stock Up 640% In Past Year), AST SpaceMobile Impresses Defense, Kuiper Grows

Group 1: Rocket Lab - Rocket Lab completed its 68th Electron launch with the "Symphony In The Stars" mission, achieving its fastest launch turnaround time with two launches in less than 48 hours [2] - The company reported a 100% mission success rate in 2025 and has achieved a stock increase of 640% over the past year [2] Group 2: SpaceX - Rocket Lab's successes contrast with challenges faced by SpaceX, including a series of high-profile Starship explosions that raised concerns about risk management and environmental compliance [3] Group 3: Amazon's Project Kuiper - Amazon launched its second batch of Kuiper satellites, adding 27 satellites to the total, which now stands at 54 [4] Group 4: AST SpaceMobile - AST SpaceMobile's shares experienced volatility following a direct offering of 9.45 million shares at $53.22 each and the successful demonstration of its space-based cellular broadband network for military applications [4] - The company showcased its Non-Terrestrial Network capabilities, delivering high-throughput data, voice, and video to unmodified smartphones, which is significant for secure tactical communications [5]