BlackRock has launched the iShares Space Technologies UCITS ETF (STAR), providing UK and European investors with listed exposure to space companies. According to reports from Bloomberg, the fund trades under the ticker STAR and tracks the STOXX Global Space Satellites and Drones Index. The product covers rocket makers, satellite firms, drone producers, and companies tied to their supply chains, offering investors access to the full space value chain through one listed fund. As reported by STOXX Ltd., this launch comes amid growing demand for global connectivity, navigation, Earth observation, and AI-powered analytics, with space technologies becoming essential infrastructure for industries ranging from transportation and agriculture to climate monitoring and digital services.
STAR includes a unique fast-entry rule for newly listed companies that meet the index requirements, with the index able to add IPOs within 10 to 30 days after their market debut. This mechanism enables companies to be added to the index shortly after going public, bypassing the need to wait for the next scheduled index reset. As reported by crypto.news, this feature differs from traditional index funds, which usually wait for scheduled rebalances. BlackRock linked this rule to rising attention around new public listings in space technology, potentially allowing eligible new listings to enter the index faster than standard fund schedules allow.
The STAR ETF tracks an index of companies with direct revenue from space-related activities, with eligible firms required to earn at least 25% of revenue from space, satellite, or drone operations. As reported by Bloomberg, the index uses FactSet RBICS revenue data and FactSet Revere (RBICS) Revenue and Supply Chain Relationships datasets to screen companies under a two-tier process, including businesses linked to rocket manufacturing, satellite systems, drone production, and related supply-chain services. The fund carries a total expense ratio of 0.50% across its listed European markets, with the index capturing companies operating across Space, Drone, and Satellite activities, including those involved in the Artemis-era space ecosystem.
Current STAR holdings include Rocket Lab, AST SpaceMobile, Planet Labs, Viasat, and Intuitive Machines, along with Redwire, Globalstar, EchoStar, Iridium Communications, and Firefly Aerospace. As reported by Bloomberg, the fund is listed in the UK and across 12 European markets, including Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. STAR launched on June 9, 2026, and now trades across all listed markets, with the fund capturing the full space value chain spanning rockets, satellites and autonomous technologies.
According to Bloomberg Intelligence, space ETFs have drawn roughly $8 billion in inflows this year, with space funds overtaking defense ETFs by inflows during this period. Interest in space ETFs has surged in recent months, particularly with SpaceX's impending IPO, positioning space ETFs as the second-highest in net inflows among 39 ETF themes tracked by Bloomberg. Omar Moufti, BlackRock's thematics and sectors product strategist, cited lower launch costs and rising satellite adoption as factors making the space economy an important long-term investment theme. Other space-focused funds have shown strong performance, with the Procure Space ETF gaining more than 109% over the past year, demonstrating growing investor interest in the space technology sector. McKinsey estimates that the global space economy will reach USD 1.8 trillion by 2035, up from USD 630 billion in 2023, with five industries expected to drive over 60% of space-economy growth by 2035 including supply chain & transportation, food & agriculture, government & defense, retail & consumer services and digital industries.
