Aug 24, 2026 – 12.00pmWhen SpaceX went public in June, CommSec, the lead Australian stockbroker for the float, had to open a call centre over a long weekend to handle the flood of mum-and-dad investors seeking to open trading accounts. About 30,000 Australian retail investors piled into the IPO, whether inspired by the mission to occupy Mars or the fear of missing out on a quick profit.But investors do not need to look all the way to SpaceX’s production site at Starbase, Texas, to find the space economy. There is plenty happening in South Australia, where a passion for science has led to a homegrown space sector, helped in part by the state government establishing the South Australian Space Industry Centre almost a decade ago.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Daniel ArbonDeputy newsletter editorDaniel Arbon is deputy newsletter editor for The Australian Financial Review. Email Daniel at daniel.arbon@nine.com.auFetching latest articles