(Reuters) – SpaceX's first earnings call as a publicly listed company is expected to focus on artificial intelligence spending and profits from its Starlink satellite internet business, but retail investors are asking a very different set of questions.
Following a model used by Tesla, the company has launched an online platform allowing shareholders to submit and vote on questions ahead of Tuesday's earnings call, which is expected to feature Elon Musk.
Among the most popular questions are requests for additional footage of Starship's Human Landing System, the spacecraft being developed to carry astronauts to the Moon under NASA's Artemis programme next year.
Investors also expressed interest in Asteroid, SpaceX's newly introduced Shiba Inu mascot, asking whether it could play a greater role in educational programmes, children's charities and public outreach. The mascot is also featured as a $35 plush toy.
Other highly ranked questions focused on the technical development of Starship, including when the spacecraft will begin orbital refuelling, when both its booster and upper stage will be successfully caught during landing, and even whether the rocket could be painted pink.
One investor proposed selling sponsorships for individual heat shield tiles so supporters could have their names flown into space.
The unusual mix of questions comes after SpaceX allocated roughly 30% of its initial public offering (IPO) shares to retail investors, one of the largest such allocations in a major U.S. stock market listing.
Although SpaceX shares have fallen by more than half from their post-IPO intraday peak, relatively few shareholder questions focused on the company's financial performance. Those that did were more interested in issues such as when SpaceX's planned orbital AI data centres could become operational rather than near-term earnings.
Questions about when the company's AI business might become profitable ranked far below those related to Starship and space exploration.
Retail investors also showed little interest in speculation about a possible merger between Tesla and SpaceX, despite the topic attracting significant attention during Tesla's recent earnings discussion. The issue received almost no support on SpaceX's investor forum after a media report suggested Tesla executives were preparing for a separation of the company's China business ahead of a potential merger, a report Musk denied.
One investor questioned whether buying additional SpaceX shares made sense given Musk's long-term vision that advances in AI and robotics could eventually create an economy where goods and services become so inexpensive that money loses much of its importance. The question, however, received no support from other investors ahead of the company's first quarterly earnings announcement.