SpaceX stock slips as Chinese rocket milestone and big unlock loom

SpaceX (SPCX) shares fell roughly 2.6% after hours as LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 achieved a land-based booster recovery, a Chinese milestone that narrows SpaceX’s lead in reusable rockets. The stock also faces a big unlock: about 319 million SpaceX shares become tradeable Thursday as part of a Day 70 tranche that could release around 88% of SpaceX’s 13 billion shares through 2027; additional tranches are planned in November and December, and Elon Musk’s 6.42 billion shares stay locked until 2027. Despite the unlock pressure, SpaceX remains ahead on launch cadence and Starlink revenue.