The commercial space sector got its groove back this week, with retail investors piling into space stocks and sending several names into orbit. Here's what's been happening across the industry.

Rocket Lab Takes Center Stage

Rocket Lab Corp. (RKLB) has plenty to be excited about. The company's "Raise and Shine" mission—its 19th Electron launch of the year—has a launch window opening December 5 from Launch Complex 1. This marks the first of two dedicated launches for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, underlining Rocket Lab's growing international partnerships.

The company also hit a major milestone recently when two of its NASA-backed spacecraft successfully began their journey toward Mars. Nothing says "we're serious about space" quite like having hardware heading to the Red Planet.

The market noticed. Rocket Lab stock climbed 8.47% on Thursday, according to data from MarketDash Pro.

AST SpaceMobile Catches Fire

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (ASTS) shares absolutely flew on Thursday, trending across financial social media as trading volume spiked. The stock rocketed nearly 17% higher, and there's actual news backing up the move.

Last week, AST announced it's expanding operations with two new manufacturing sites in Texas and Florida. The move is all about scaling up production of the company's next-generation BlueBird satellites.

"As we accelerate production of our next-generation BlueBird satellites, the expansion allows us to increase capacity, strengthen our supply chain, and bring even more high-technology manufacturing work back to the United States," said Abel Avellan, CEO of AST SpaceMobile.

The company's BlueBird 6 satellite is scheduled to launch December 15 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in India, adding another data point to AST's momentum story.

Virgin Galactic Rides the Wave

Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (SPCE) shares climbed on sector momentum Thursday, even without company-specific news. Sometimes you just catch the right wave. The stock has gained more than 20% over the past five days as space stocks broadly resurged.

Firefly Aerospace Gets Analyst Attention

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. (FLY) moved higher with the sector on Thursday, but the company also drew fresh analyst attention recently.

Two analysts updated their coverage:

• JPMorgan analyst Seth Seifman maintained Firefly Aerospace with an Overweight rating, but lowered the price target from $55 to $28
• Goldman Sachs analyst Anthony Valentini reinstated coverage on Firefly with a Neutral rating and $29 price target

Intuitive Machines Joins the Rally

Intuitive Machines, Inc. (LUNR) shares jumped 10% on Thursday and climbed more than 22% over the past five days as the space sector came back to life. The lunar lander company is riding the same retail enthusiasm sweeping through space stocks this week.

Plug Power Enters the Space Game

In an interesting crossover, hydrogen energy company Plug Power, Inc. (PLUG) officially entered the space industry on Monday. The company began supplying NASA with up to 218,000 kilograms (480,000 pounds) of liquid hydrogen to support NASA operations at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio.

It's a reminder that the space industry isn't just about rockets and satellites—it's also about the infrastructure and energy systems that make space operations possible.