Leading Australian financial services business, Betashares, today announced the upcoming launch of Australia’s first space industry ETF (RCKT) on the ASX. The fund will provide exposure to a portfolio of companies at the forefront of the global space economy.
RCKT will provide investors with exposure to a portfolio of 30 global companies operating across key segments of the space value chain, including satellite communications, connectivity and data services, rocket launch capabilities, and space infrastructure and manufacturing.
Expected portfolio holdings include companies such as Rocket Lab, AST SpaceMobile, EchoStar, Planet Labs and Firefly Aerospace. The fund’s index is also designed to enable fast entry of major IPOs into the index shortly after listing, such as that anticipated for SpaceX.
The announcement comes as the space industry continues to shift from a government-led domain to a more commercially driven ecosystem. Innovation in launch technology, including reusable rockets, has helped reduce launch costs from around US$12,000 per kilogram to as low as US$1,500 per kilogram.
Lower launch costs are opening up opportunities that were previously commercially unviable, including low Earth orbit satellites used for geospatial mapping, global broadband and mobile network coverage.
There are now more than 10,000 low Earth orbit satellites in operation (source: U.S. Space Force Space Surveillance Network). As a result, 2024 forecasts from McKinsey & Company and the World Economic Forum suggest the global space economy could grow from approximately US$630 billion in 2023 to US$1.8 trillion by 2035.
Globally, space-related ETFs manage about A$4.45 billion in funds under management and have attracted roughly A$2.1 billion in flows since the start of the year.
Betashares CEO, Alex Vynokur, said the fund offered investors a new way to access one of the most dynamic and fast-evolving areas of the global economy.
“We are excited to announce the upcoming launch of the Betashares Space Industry ETF, RCKT, an ASX first that offers exposure to companies driving the rapidly evolving global space industry,” Vynokur said.
“Once led primarily by government agencies, the space industry is increasingly being shaped by commercial companies launching rockets, building satellite networks and delivering critical data from orbit. As falling launch costs expand what is commercially possible, and anticipated IPOs such as SpaceX move closer, RCKT is designed to capture the opportunity set emerging across the global space industry,” Vynokur concluded.
RCKT is designed to be used as a thematic allocation within a diversified portfolio, complementing core exposures across asset classes. It provides investors with a simple, ASX-traded vehicle to access a rapidly evolving industry.
More information about the Betashares Space Industry ETF (RCKT) can be found here. The fund is expected to commence trading on or about 12 May 2026.