Starfighters Space Enters Aerospace with F-104 Fleet
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2d ago
0mins
Should l Buy FJET?
Source: Benzinga
- New Aerospace Challenger: Starfighters Space (FJET) operates the world's only commercial fleet of F-104 Starfighter jets from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, planning to utilize these aircraft as a reusable first stage for its STARLAUNCH 1 system, marking its entry into the 21st-century space race.
- Supersonic Advantage: Unlike most small-satellite and research rockets that launch from sea level, Starfighters' system provides a supersonic head start by releasing at altitude, which reduces aerodynamic stress and enhances propellant efficiency, allowing payloads to avoid the densest part of the atmosphere for cleaner flight.
- Stock Performance Volatility: Following an explosive IPO in December 2025, FJET's stock surged over 200%, but has since dropped about 35% in the past month, although it remains well above the initial price of $3.59 per share, indicating sustained investor interest in space companies.
- Future Strategic Positioning: Starfighters Space is focused on meeting the surging national demand for rapid hypersonic testing and responsive space missions, with CEO Svetkoff emphasizing the company's commitment to operationalizing access through proven aircraft and disciplined execution to make high-speed access more responsive and repeatable.
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Analyst Views on FJET
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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- New Aerospace Challenger: Starfighters Space (FJET) operates the world's only commercial fleet of F-104 Starfighter jets from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, planning to utilize these aircraft as a reusable first stage for its STARLAUNCH 1 system, marking its entry into the 21st-century space race.
- Supersonic Advantage: Unlike most small-satellite and research rockets that launch from sea level, Starfighters' system provides a supersonic head start by releasing at altitude, which reduces aerodynamic stress and enhances propellant efficiency, allowing payloads to avoid the densest part of the atmosphere for cleaner flight.
- Stock Performance Volatility: Following an explosive IPO in December 2025, FJET's stock surged over 200%, but has since dropped about 35% in the past month, although it remains well above the initial price of $3.59 per share, indicating sustained investor interest in space companies.
- Future Strategic Positioning: Starfighters Space is focused on meeting the surging national demand for rapid hypersonic testing and responsive space missions, with CEO Svetkoff emphasizing the company's commitment to operationalizing access through proven aircraft and disciplined execution to make high-speed access more responsive and repeatable.
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- Capital Rotation: As investors shift funds from established public players to SpaceX, many public peers have experienced significant double-digit declines over the past 30 days, reflecting a cautious market sentiment towards emerging space companies.
- Divergent Stock Performance: While AST SpaceMobile has shown resilience due to its satellite-to-phone milestones, hardware and launch providers like Rocket Lab and Sidus Space have suffered greater losses, highlighting varying levels of market confidence among different companies.
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- Supersonic Advantage: Unlike most small-satellite and research rockets that launch from sea level, Starfighters' system provides a supersonic head start by releasing at altitude, which reduces aerodynamic stress and enhances propellant efficiency, allowing payloads to avoid the densest part of the atmosphere for cleaner flight.
- Stock Performance Volatility: Following an explosive IPO in December 2025, FJET's stock surged over 200%, but has since dropped about 35% in the past month, although it remains well above the initial price of $3.59 per share, indicating sustained investor interest in space companies.
- Future Strategic Positioning: Starfighters Space is focused on meeting the surging national demand for rapid hypersonic testing and responsive space missions, with CEO Svetkoff emphasizing the company's commitment to operationalizing access through proven aircraft and disciplined execution to make high-speed access more responsive and repeatable.
See More
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- Funding Target: SpaceX aims to raise up to $50 billion, potentially valuing the company at around $1.5 trillion, which would surpass Saudi Aramco's $29 billion listing in 2019, making it the largest IPO in history.
- Tight Timeline: Despite the promising IPO outlook, some bankers caution that the June timeline may be overly ambitious, as the company still needs to file its Form S-1 with the SEC and conduct a global roadshow.
- Market Impact: SpaceX executives are in close discussions with investment bankers, and while preparing for the IPO, the ongoing sale of existing shares is valued at approximately $800 billion, which could enhance the market performance of related space stocks.
See More
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- Stock Price Volatility: Despite a 370% surge on its debut day, Starfighters Space's stock has plunged 18% since the start of the year, indicating market concerns over its long-term performance, particularly amid rumors of SpaceX potentially targeting a 2026 listing.
- Retail Investor Sentiment Shift: Retail sentiment for Starfighters Space has shifted from 'bullish' to 'bearish' over the past month, with a 4,800% surge in message volume on Stocktwits in the last 24 hours, indicating a significant increase in investor interest regarding the company's future.
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See More
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