SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell, one of the Elon Musk-led space company's earliest employees, shared her thoughts on pricing and the company's future during an interview on IPO day Friday.

The SpaceX IPO

Shotwell addressed the decision to price shares at $135, even with heavy demand from both institutional and retail investors ahead of the listing.

"Not everything has to get done the first day," she told CNBC.

She said SpaceX has a long runway of opportunities ahead, pointing to Starship, Starlink, and Grok as major areas of focus.

"We're really looking for investors who want to stick with us for the long term."

Shotwell added that Elon Musk wanted everyday people to have access to the IPO, with roughly 33% of shares reportedly allocated to retail investors.

While Musk has emphasized retail participation, Shotwell noted he also spent recent weeks meeting with institutional investors.

After 24 years working alongside ...