September was a difficult month for not-yet-profitable, growth-focused companies, with investors fleeing for safer, more conservative options. There are few pursuits more risky than traveling to space, so perhaps it is no surprise that Rocket Lab USA (NASDAQ: RKLB) shares lost 26% of their value in September, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Rocket Lab is a space stock focused on launching small- to medium-sized satellites into orbit. The company isn't as well known as some of the other space start-ups, but it has accomplished quite a bit in a short amount of time. Rocket Lab has delivered 150 satellites to orbit through 30 missions, generating $128 million in sales over the past 12 months. But it is also still in the money-losing stage, reporting negative EBITDA of nearly $120 million during the same period.

Though Rocket Lab shows great potential, it is also far from a sure thing. In September, a month in which the S&P 500 fell by more than 9% as investors increasingly worried about the risk of a recession, more speculative stocks had trouble getting airborne. Rocket Lab was caught up in that pressure.

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Source Fool.com