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iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF offers a significantly lower expense ratio of 0.37% compared to 0.75% for Tema Space Innovators ETF. Tema Space Innovators ETF provides concentrated exposure to 37 holdings in space commerce, while iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF holds 50 stocks in the broader defense sector.
The Tema Space Innovators ETF has a higher annual expense ratio and exhibits more volatility than the U.S. Global Jets ETF. The U.S. Global Jets ETF provides concentrated exposure to the global airline industry and has a longer operational history.
The Tema Space Innovators ETF (NASA) is favored over the Procure Space ETF (UFO) due to its heavier SpaceX concentration and lower direct rival exposure. NASA holds SpaceX and its rivals at a 1:1 allocation, whereas UFO is 1:2, and the fund that owns more SpaceX and fewer rivals wins in my view. NASA's two SpaceX positions, including private shares bought pre-IPO through an SPV, are nearly a quarter of the fund; UFO, a passive index, waited for the IPO.
Investors looking for exposure to SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) and the fast-growing commercial space industry can turn to exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The Tema Space Innovators ETF manages more assets under management (AUM) but carries a higher expense ratio than First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF. The First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF offers a broader portfolio with 49 holdings compared to the 37 positions in the Tema fund.
The Tema Space Innovators ETF (NYSE:NASA) launched at the end of March 2026 with a single genuinely differentiated feature: through a special-purpose vehicle, it offered direct exposure to SpaceX at a time when retail investors had no clean way to own the company.
ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF and Tema Space Innovators ETF both carry an identical 0.75% expense ratio. Tema's ETF manages $1.3 billion in assets under management (AUM) despite being the newer fund.
SpaceX, Nvidia, Google, and Meta are moving space data centers from science fiction toward hardware, contracts, and launches.