Lunar Echoes: Stocks Beyond the Blast Radius

The launch pad at Kennedy Space Center receives its burden of steel and fire. The SLS, a behemoth birthed from calculation and ambition, stands poised. Artemis II, they call it—a name echoing a sisterhood of light, a return to a pale dominion. It is not merely a mission, but a stirring of something ancient within us, a yearning for the silent, silver spheres. The market, of course, sees opportunity. But the true currents lie deeper than the surface froth.

One must understand the program, not as a series of contracts and projections, but as a slow unfolding—a decade-long tide pulling at the shores of industry. The aim is not simply to revisit the moon, but to establish a foothold, a permanence. To build, not just to visit. And within this grand ambition, certain smaller vessels navigate the currents, unseen by the casual observer.

The larger players—Boeing, Lockheed Martin, the familiar constellations of defense—are well-charted. Their movements are predictable, their gains largely accounted for. We seek instead the subtle shifts, the quiet accruals of value in those companies that provide the sinews and the subtleties—the unseen hands shaping the future. It is in these lesser-known names that a discerning eye might find a more compelling return.

Three Companies Riding the Lunar Tide

Presented not as mere data points, but as narratives—each a small story of innovation and resilience. Market capitalization, forward P/E ratios—these are but the skeletal frames upon which we hang the flesh of understanding.

Company Market Cap Forward P/E Wall Street’s Estimated 5-Year Annualized EPS Growth Year-to-Date 2026 Stock Return 3-Year Stock Return
Karman Holdings (KRMN +4.26%) $15.0 billion 185 127% 54.9% N/A
MDA Space (MDAL.F +8.67%) $3.6 billion 24 N/A. 61% this year; 6.5% next year. 48.5% 477%
Graham Corp. (GHM 7.49%) $775 million 51 N/A. 10.8% this year; 58.7% next year. 9.8% 633%
S&P 500 Index N/A N/A N/A 2% 78.9%

Karman Holdings: Forged in the Crucible

A new bloom upon the industrial landscape, Karman emerged only recently, an IPO in February 2025. It is a company still finding its shape, a sapling reaching for the light. They deal in the language of metal and pressure—complex systems for aerospace, defense, and the hypersonic. A curious blend, this forging of earthly ambition with the aspiration of flight.

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Their acquisitions—Seemann Composites, a recent addition—speak to a broadening scope, a desire to touch more of the industrial world. They provide the structural bones for the SLS, the shielding for the Orion, the very framework for this lunar ambition. A high valuation, yes, and a short history. But within that volatility lies the potential for substantial growth, for a swift ascent.

MDA Space: A Canadian Constellation

From the northern latitudes comes MDA Space, a company born of the space age itself, founded in 1969. They are Canada’s largest space company, a quiet giant building the tools for exploration. Their strength lies not in grand pronouncements, but in the meticulous crafting of robotic systems—the artificial limbs of our lunar ambition.

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Canadarm3, their AI-powered robotic arm for the Gateway lunar station, is a testament to their ingenuity. They are building the hands that will assemble our lunar outpost, the tools that will unlock the secrets of the moon. And the question lingers—who is providing the intelligence within those hands? Nvidia’s chips, perhaps? A subtle synergy, a quiet partnership shaping the future.

Graham Corp.: A Legacy of Precision

Graham Corp., rooted in the industrial heartland of New York, carries a lineage stretching back to 1936. They are masters of fluid, power, and heat transfer—the unseen forces that sustain life and drive progress. Their Barber-Nichols subsidiary, a craftsman of precision components, is providing the very breath of life for the next generation of spacesuits.

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They are not merely building components; they are building trust. Their recent orders—$22 million in new contracts—speak to a resurgence, a renewal of purpose. A book-to-bill ratio of 1.3x, a backlog of $500.1 million—these are not mere numbers; they are the echoes of a company finding its rhythm, a quiet confidence building with each passing quarter. The market is a restless sea, but some vessels are built to weather the storm.

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2026-01-28 14:03