▲ SpaceX
Elon Musk held a ceremony to mark SpaceX's listing on the Nasdaq, expressing his ambition for the company to become one that can send anyone who wishes to travel deep into space.
According to reports from CNBC and The New York Times (NYT), Musk addressed employees at the SpaceX headquarters, Starbase, in Texas on June 12 (local time), stating, "I hope SpaceX can take you to the moon, Mars, and ultimately, beyond."
Reflecting on the company's early days, he said, "It is hard to believe that a small company that started in a warehouse in El Segundo (California) is now having the biggest IPO in history," adding, "I saw the probability of SpaceX succeeding as less than 10 percent."
He continued, "I told people that we would probably fail, but we had to try. Otherwise, we would not become true citizens of space," and pointed out, "There were other aerospace companies, but they did not pursue technologies to realize 'Star Trek' or turn science fiction into reality."
Musk emphasized, "SpaceX's goal is to take the 'fiction' out of science fiction and create an exciting and inspiring future for everyone," adding, "I hope we can take not just a few astronauts, but anyone who wants to go to the moon or Mars. With our team, I am sure we can achieve this."
Typically, key executives ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to mark the first day of trading, but Musk spent the day with employees at the Texas headquarters.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell attended the event in New York to oversee the proceedings.
As the opening bell rang to mark the listing, the backdrops at both the New York and Texas venues displayed images of a SpaceX spacecraft launching into the sky, while Elton John's song "Rocket Man" played.
SpaceX was listed on the Nasdaq and Nasdaq Texas today, with actual trading expected to take place within the day.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.