Relativity Space Is Private. Here’s How Investors Can Approach It
No, Relativity Space is not publicly traded. Retail investors usually have to wait for an IPO, look at public peers like Rocket Lab, or consider accredited-only private secondary access.
No, Relativity Space is not publicly traded. Retail investors usually have to wait for an IPO, look at public peers like Rocket Lab, or consider accredited-only private secondary access.
Relativity Space has become one of the more closely watched private space companies because it sits at the intersection of launch, manufacturing automation, and a very capital-intensive race to orbit. The company has also been in the news for a major leadership change, with Eric Schmidt taking the CEO role and a controlling stake in 2025, which naturally raises the question: can everyday investors buy in now?
That question matters because Relativity is still private, but it has real scale, real contracts, and a public-market story around it through comparable space stocks and a few indirect exposure routes. Here’s what Relativity Space does, whether you can buy it, and the closest ways retail investors can get exposure.
What is Relativity Space?
Relativity Space builds reusable rockets and related aerospace manufacturing technology. Its current core product is Terran R, which the company describes as a reusable medium-to-heavy-lift rocket. It previously developed Terran 1, billed as the world’s first 3D-printed rocket, before pivoting its focus to Terran R.
The company says it was founded in 2016, is headquartered in Long Beach, California, has about 2,000 employees, operates across 5 U.S. locations, and has more than $3 billion in pre-sold launch contracts. Its business model is launch services for commercial and government customers, plus manufacturing and automation know-how tied to additive manufacturing and robotics.
Is Relativity Space publicly traded?
No, Relativity Space is currently a privately held company, not a public stock you can buy on an exchange. SEC records identify it as Relativity Space, Inc., a Delaware corporation with a principal place of business in Long Beach, California, and there is no public ticker or public parent company.
Ownership has shifted materially since its founding. In March 2025, Eric Schmidt became CEO and took a controlling interest, so the company is best described as Schmidt-controlled rather than founder-controlled at this point.
When will Relativity Space go public?
There is no public S-1 filing for Relativity Space, and I found no credible evidence that it has formally filed for an IPO. The company’s public communications have focused on execution, manufacturing progress, and launch contracts rather than listing plans.
The last widely reported private valuation was $4.2 billion in June 2021, tied to a $650 million Series E round. Since then, the most important things to watch are launch progress for Terran R, customer traction, and whether management ever signals a public-market timeline. For now, the evidence points to a company that is staying private.
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For most retail investors, the realistic answer is: you can’t buy Relativity Space directly today. The first path is to wait for an IPO, then buy shares through a brokerage account once the stock starts trading. If that ever happens, you’d participate the same way you would with any other new listing.
There is no public parent stock to buy here, so that option does not exist. The next-best public-market route is to invest in comparable listed space companies, which is what most retail investors end up doing when they want exposure to the theme. The closest public alternatives shareholders look at are Rocket Lab, Virgin Galactic, and Astra. Those are not substitutes for owning Relativity, but they are the practical way to express a view on the launch market.
There is also a private-market path for accredited investors through secondary markets. Forge has listed Relativity Space stock as potentially available on its platform, subject to company policies and market interest. That is not a retail shortcut, and it is not guaranteed access; private secondary trading is typically limited to accredited investors and can be illiquid and expensive.
Indirect exposure: backdoor ways to invest
There are a couple of real indirect exposure routes, but they are thin and not the same as owning Relativity itself. BlackRock Technology and Private Equity Term Trust (BTX) disclosed a position in Relativity Space, Inc. as of March 31, 2026, with 30,412 shares valued at $31,324. Destiny Tech100 (DXYZ) also disclosed Relativity Space, LLC in its holdings schedule. Those funds can give public-market investors some exposure, but the position size is usually a tiny slice of the portfolio, so the effective exposure is diluted.
That means you are buying a fund, not a clean Relativity proxy. You also inherit the fund’s fees, structure, and other holdings, so the exposure is indirect by design. For most retail investors, these vehicles are more of a curiosity than a primary way to invest in Relativity Space.
Closest publicly-traded alternatives
The closest public comp is Rocket Lab USA (RKLB). It is the most direct listed launch-company analog because it combines launch services with space systems, making it the clearest public-market proxy for Relativity’s launch ambitions. Virgin Galactic Holdings (SPCE) is less similar operationally, but it is a public space name that investors often use as a sentiment barometer for the sector.
Astra Space (ASTR) is another small-launch reference point, though its business has been much more troubled. If you want a broader space basket, Intuitive Machines (LUNR) and Planet Labs (PL) are also public names investors look at, but they are less direct launch proxies than Rocket Lab. For a Relativity thesis, Rocket Lab is the cleanest comparison, with SPCE and ASTR serving as looser sector comps.
Recent news
The biggest recent development was leadership: in March 2025, Eric Schmidt became CEO and took a controlling interest in the company. That changed the ownership story in a meaningful way and made Relativity look less like a founder-led startup and more like a Schmidt-backed private aerospace platform.
Operationally, Relativity has kept pushing Terran R forward. In November 2025, it expanded a multi-launch agreement with SES and said Terran R’s first launch was planned for late 2026. The company has also continued posting updates on manufacturing and launch-site work, including activity at NASA Stennis and Cape Canaveral.
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If you want to own Relativity Space directly, the honest answer is that you probably can’t right now unless you qualify for private-market access and find shares in the secondary market. For most people, the better move is to treat Relativity as a private company to watch, not a stock to buy.
If you want exposure to the theme today, look at the public comparables first, especially Rocket Lab (RKLB). That gives you an actual tradeable way to express a view on commercial launch while you wait to see whether Relativity ever files for an IPO.
▌Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
+Is Relativity Space publicly traded?
No, Relativity Space is currently a privately held company, not a public stock you can buy on an exchange. SEC records identify it as Relativity Space, Inc., a Delaware corporation with a principal place of business in Long Beach, California, and there is no public ticker or public parent company.
+When will Relativity Space go public?
There is no public S-1 filing for Relativity Space, and I found no credible evidence that it has formally filed for an IPO. The company’s public communications have focused on execution, manufacturing progress, and launch contracts rather than listing plans.
+How can you invest in Relativity Space?
For most retail investors, the realistic answer is: you can’t buy Relativity Space directly today. The first path is to wait for an IPO, then buy shares through a brokerage account once the stock starts trading. If that ever happens, you’d participate the same way you would with any other new listing.
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