York Space Systems began trading as a public company on Thursday, with founder and CEO Dirk Wallinger touting the company’s potential to be a key contributor to President Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ project.
The Denver-based space company opened on the New York Stock Exchange at $38, up 11.7% from its $34 offering price. It was valued at $4.75 billion.
“Golden Dome is essentially making disparate systems that weren’t intended to talk to one another, talk to one another, which is what we do,” Wallinger told CNBC’s Morgan Brennan. “York’s already delivering on that, so we’re looking for the opportunity to deliver on the Golden Dome for our country.”
York has already built low-earth orbit satellites for the U.S. Space Development Agency, launching 21 craft as part of a September launch.
Space technology has steadily been gaining momentum in 2025 and looks set for a big 2026.
The sector saw several IPOs last year, including Firefly Aerospace, Voyager Technologies and Karman Holdings.
The industry has also seen a boost from Trump’s renewed interest in upgrading military technology and bringing astronauts back to the moon after more than half a century.
SpaceX’s expected IPO this year is poised to be the largest ever.
Wallinger said SpaceX going public will be great for everyone in the sector.
“I think there’s a lot of excitement in the market for defense tech and space,” Wallinger said.
York Space Systems has done 74 missions to space since its founding in 2012. The company currently works with the U.S. Department of Defense, and entered a contract with the U.S. Space Development Agency in 2022.
Trump announced plans for a $175 billion ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system in May. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the project could cost up to $831 billion.
“Historically, people kind of view us solely as a spacecraft manufacturer, but we’re really a complete, holistic solution,” Wallinger said. “And that kind of turnkey solution is really what national defense needs.”
