🚀 NASA vs ROKT vs ARKX · Three-Way Space ETF Comparison
NASA vs ROKT vs ARKX: Best Space ETF?
Three funds targeting the commercial space sector. NASA is pure-play space companies. ROKT uses Kensho's AI-driven index. ARKX takes an active approach that extends beyond pure space to broader "innovation." All three are small, expensive, and high-risk.
💰 Cost: 0.45% to 0.75%
📊 AUM: $100M to $400M
⚠️ All are high-risk, niche funds
⚠️ Space ETFs Are High-Risk Thematic Funds
All three of these funds are niche, thinly traded, and high-expense thematic ETFs. None has AUM above $500M. Commercial space is a legitimate long-term investment theme, but these vehicles carry illiquidity risk, high expense ratios, and concentrated sector exposure. Use limit orders. Size positions appropriately. None of these belongs as a core portfolio holding.
NASA vs ROKT vs ARKX: Side-by-Side
|
NASA |
ROKT |
ARKX |
| Full name |
Procure Space ETF |
SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF |
ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF |
| Issuer |
Procure |
State Street |
ARK Invest |
| Expense ratio |
0.75% |
0.45% |
0.75% |
| AUM |
$0.1B |
$0.3B |
$0.4B |
| Holdings |
30 stocks |
25 stocks |
28 stocks |
| Index / strategy |
S-Network Space Index |
S&P Kensho Final Frontiers Index |
Active (ARK research-driven) |
| Inception |
2019 |
2018 |
2021 |
| Space purity |
Very high (pure space) |
High (space + deep sea) |
Moderate (space + drones + other) |
| Management style |
Index-based |
Index-based (Kensho AI) |
Actively managed |
AUM and returns are approximate. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
The BFF Take
ROKT wins for most investors who want space exposure. At 0.45%, it costs significantly less than either NASA or ARKX at 0.75%. Its Kensho Final Frontiers Index uses a rules-based, AI-assisted methodology to identify companies with genuine space and frontier technology exposure. State Street's backing provides more institutional credibility and better liquidity than the smaller NASA fund. NASA is the purest space play: it holds only companies with at least 50% of revenue derived from space-related activities, making it the most targeted vehicle. But at $100M AUM, it is so thinly traded that bid-ask spreads become a real cost. ARKX carries the most brand recognition from ARK Invest, but its portfolio extends well beyond space into drones, 3D printing, and autonomous vehicles, diluting the space thesis. ARK's active management has not demonstrably outperformed index alternatives in most of its funds after 2021. For a direct space bet, ROKT at 0.45% is the better vehicle. If you want the purest space exposure and are comfortable with illiquidity, NASA makes the case. Avoid ARKX unless you specifically want ARK's high-conviction active approach across adjacent innovation themes.
Who Each Fund Is Built For
NASA
Best for
- Purest space company exposure
- Satellite operators, launch companies, space tech
- Investors willing to accept thin liquidity
- Highest conviction space-specific bet
ROKT
Best for
- Lowest cost space/frontier exposure at 0.45%
- Rules-based Kensho index methodology
- Better liquidity than NASA
- Space + adjacent frontier technology
ARKX
Best for
- ARK Invest brand followers
- Broader innovation exposure beyond pure space
- Investors comfortable with active management
- Largest AUM of the three at $400M
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best space ETF: NASA, ROKT, or ARKX?
ROKT is the best choice for most investors wanting space exposure. At 0.45%, it is significantly cheaper than NASA (0.75%) and ARKX (0.75%). Its Kensho AI-based index methodology provides disciplined, rules-based exposure to space and frontier technology companies. ARKX has the most brand recognition but its active management and 0.75% expense ratio have not produced superior returns. NASA is the purest space play but its tiny $100M AUM and thinly traded shares make it the riskiest vehicle of the three from a liquidity standpoint.
Is ARKX a good investment?
ARKX has underdelivered since its 2021 launch. The fund holds a broad basket of innovation companies that includes drones, 3D printing, and autonomous vehicles alongside actual space companies, diluting its space theme. At 0.75%, it is the most expensive of the three on a per-unit-of-space-exposure basis. ARK Invest's flagship ARKK fund also significantly underperformed from 2022 onward after its 2020 peak, raising questions about the firm's active management edge. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
What companies do NASA, ROKT, and ARKX hold?
NASA holds pure space companies: satellite operators like ViaSat and Hughes Network Systems, launch services companies, GPS technology providers, and space communications businesses. ROKT holds Kensho-screened space and deep-frontier companies including satellite operators, space defense contractors, and ocean exploration companies. ARKX holds a mix of true space companies (SpaceX isn't public, but related names), drone technology firms, 3D printing companies, and autonomous vehicle companies that ARK considers "space exploration adjacent." ARKX's broader mandate means less pure space exposure per dollar invested.
Are space ETFs worth investing in?
Commercial space is a legitimate long-term investment theme. The launch cost per kilogram has dropped 90%+ since SpaceX's Falcon 9 began operations, creating genuine commercial opportunity in satellite internet (Starlink), space tourism, resource extraction, and defense applications. The challenge is that the most exciting space companies (SpaceX, Blue Origin, Relativity Space) are private and not accessible through any ETF. The publicly traded space companies in NASA, ROKT, and ARKX are supporting players rather than the primary beneficiaries of the commercial space boom. That said, a small satellite position in ROKT captures meaningful upside if the sector matures as expected.
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Fund data is approximate and may not reflect current holdings or returns. Space ETFs are niche, thinly traded, and high-expense thematic funds not suitable as core portfolio holdings. Nothing on ETF BFF is personalized financial advice. ETF BFF may receive compensation from brokerage partners referenced on this site.