SpaceX completes a lot of missions for other companies interested in space, too.

SpaceX is known for cosmic branding, including in California. Here's a look behind the names of some of its most famous rockets, vehicles and more.

A surge in short interest coincides with a sell-off in SpaceX stock that has weighed on the portfolios of individual investors who own any fund tracking the hugely popular Nasdaq-100 index.

Rocket Lab has announced its intention to buy Iridium Communications for $8 billion. Iridium has a satellite constellation for global connectivity, as well as important rights to L-band spectrum, which can cost billions of dollars in today's market.