2 Reasons Why The ARK Space Exploration ETF Could Be A Dud (ARKX) The new ARK ETF debuted to a lot of fanfare, but it's looking like one of the company's weaker offerings. Author: ARK Space Exploration ETF (ARKX) is a disappointment. Let's be clear. This isn't an indictment of Cathie Wood or the ARK Invest company's success. She has worked incredibly hard, achieved an impressive degree of success and deserves every bit of it. But if I'm being completely honest, ARKX isn't, in my opinion, living up to what I thought it would be. To be fair, the space exploration industry is a pretty narrow segment of the market. There are few companies out there that can boast that a significant chunk of their bottom line is dependent on this theme. There are far more companies that are exploring or building the technology and/or equipment that could end up in space, but it's such a small part of their overall business strategy that you'd be gaining a lot of exposure to non-related business activities by owning the stock. It's a real balancing act trying to obtain real space exploration exposure without watering down the portfolio.