Starfighters Space Engages ILS to Advance STARLAUNCH Project
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 13 2026
0mins
Starfighters Space announced that it has engaged Integrated Launch Solutions to provide engineering and technical integration support as Starfighters advances the STARLAUNCH pathway from design and analysis toward flight and launch services. Under this agreement, ILS will serve as an extension of the Starfighters team, providing critical support in the areas of Mission Design, Analysis, & Simulation, Systems Engineering & Technical Integration, Regulatory & Safety Compliance, and Range Integration. Together, Starfighters and ILS will develop the program policies, plans and processes necessary to provide robust, repeatable and cost-effective flight and launch services to support the research, development, test and evaluation of flight hardware and instrumentation. "STARLAUNCH is a pathway, and the pathway depends on execution," said Tim Franta, Chief Executive Officer of Starfighters Space. "ILS brings launch, range, licensing and mission integration experience from programs that have supported the U.S. Air Force, NRO, NASA and commercial customers. Combined with Jose Arias and Catrina Medeiros joining our STARLAUNCH operations team, this engagement gives us more of the process discipline and execution capacity required to expedite space launch development from concept through flight readiness."
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About FJET
Starfighters Space, Inc. operates the commercial fleet of flight-ready F-104 supersonic aircraft (Lockheed F-104). The Lockheed F-104 is developed as a supersonic aircraft for the United States Armed Forces. Supersonic flights capable of flying at MACH 2 with air-launch rockets in development through the Starfighters STARLAUNCH program. The Lockheed F-104 also performed many safety chase missions in support of advanced research aircraft and provided a launch platform for sounding rockets. The Company organizes its services into various categories: historical services and new services. Its historical services include pilot and astronaut training, launch services and access to space, and in-flight testing. Its new services include launch services and access to space (commercial, academic, civil and government clients), and airborne testbed for hypersonic research and development (R&D) and test and evaluation (T&E) test bed (commercial, academic, civil and government).
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Technical Validation: The recent completion of wind tunnel testing for STARLAUNCH I validated key system dynamics and reduced technical risk, enabling progression toward flight testing and near-term commercial mission activities, further solidifying its position in the flexible, high-cadence space access market.
- Operational Capability Enhancement: Operating from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Starfighters Space is advancing its reusable supersonic aircraft-based launch architecture, with plans for a STARLAUNCH II space demonstration flight within the next 18 to 24 months, showcasing its potential in the commercial space economy.
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See More
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- Active ETF Market: The SPDR S&P 500 ETF and Invesco QQQ Trust both rose by 0.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF increased by 0.7%, reflecting optimistic sentiment towards major indices, particularly ahead of the upcoming three-day weekend.
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See More
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- Significant Stock Surge: Following the investment announcement, Starfighters Space (FJET) shares soared over 40%, marking its largest single-day percentage increase since December 22, 2025, reflecting market optimism surrounding the aerospace industry.
- Founder’s Stakeholding: Founder Richard William Svetkoff retains 14.2 million shares valued at $120.5 million, continuing as the largest shareholder, which underscores his confidence in the company's future growth.
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See More
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- MOU Signing: Starfighters Space has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mu-G Technologies to modify and flight test the Dassault Falcon 50 at Midland International Air & Space Port in Texas, addressing a gap in domestic microgravity services in the U.S.
- Diverse Flight Environments: This collaboration will provide four flight environments—microgravity, reduced gravity, hyper-gravity, and supersonic—enhancing Starfighters' competitiveness in the commercial microgravity market and meeting NASA's demand for novel flight platforms.
- Optimistic Industry Outlook: Starfighters is already conducting revenue missions for clients like Lockheed Martin, and its engagement in NASA's RFI highlights its significant position in the future space services market.
See More
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- IPO Catalyst: SpaceX's upcoming Nasdaq listing aims to raise up to $75 billion at a $1.75 trillion valuation, reshaping the entire space sector's valuation landscape and attracting increased investor interest in related companies.
- Strategic Partnership: Starfighters Space has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mu-G Technologies in response to NASA's request for microgravity services, planning modifications and testing in Texas to fill the gap in U.S. capabilities, thereby enhancing its market competitiveness.
- Diverse Flight Environments: Under the MOU, Starfighters will utilize the Falcon 50 aircraft to provide microgravity, reduced gravity, and hypergravity testing, combined with the supersonic capabilities of its F-104 aircraft, addressing NASA's demand for novel flight platforms and advancing commercial microgravity research.
- Industry Leadership: Starfighters already serves blue-chip clients like Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force, and under CEO Tim Franta's leadership, the company is actively expanding its aerospace operations, which is expected to further enhance its market share and revenue.
See More
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- IPO Outlook: SpaceX plans to go public on Nasdaq, targeting $75 billion in fundraising with a valuation of $1.75 trillion, potentially becoming the largest IPO in history and expected to boost the entire space ETF market.
- Partnership Agreement: Starfighters Space has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mu-G Technologies to jointly respond to NASA's request for microgravity flight services, marking a significant step towards rebuilding the U.S. commercial microgravity capability.
- Technical Integration: Under the MOU, Starfighters will modify Mu-G's Falcon 50 at Midland International Air & Space Port in Texas, providing testing across four flight environments: microgravity, reduced gravity, hyper-gravity, and supersonic regimes.
- Market Positioning: Starfighters is already conducting revenue missions for clients like Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, and under CEO Tim Franta's leadership, is actively expanding into the NASA-defined commercial microgravity market.
See More
