Pentagon's $60B space funding fuels race between Planet Labs' data and Rocket Lab's rockets.

The Pentagon's FY2027 budget allocates nearly $60 billion for space, intensifying competition between Planet Labs and Rocket Lab. Planet Labs, specializing in satellite imagery and AI analytics, saw a 58% revenue increase driven by defense contracts, while Rocket Lab, focused on building and launching spacecraft, reported $234 million in revenue with a strong Space Force backlog. Investors face a choice between Planet's high-margin data services and Rocket Lab's industrial launch capabilities, with Rocket Lab trading at a much higher sales multiple due to its upcoming Neutron rocket launch. The market will watch closely for Rocket Lab's Neutron debut and Planet's commercial growth in the coming quarters.

Planet Labs shares are trading at USD 16.27 with a 1-day decline of 2.95%, while Rocket Lab is priced higher at USD 70.50, down 2.34% for the day. On Pluang, Rocket Lab's market cap stands at $46.16 billion compared to Planet Labs' $6.10 billion. These figures are current as of Sep 29, 2026 23:14 WIB.