Full Breakdown
Starfighters Space Turns Texas Hangar Into Microgravity Flight-Testing Hub
5/21/2026, 11:43:34 AM
Microgravity Test Hub at Starfighters’ Midland Facility
Starfighters Space and microgravity startup Mu-G Technologies are converting the company’s hangar at Midland International Air & Space Port in Texas into a staging ground for parabolic-flight microgravity testing. The effort modifies a Dassault Falcon 50 aircraft and links it with Starfighters’ fleet of seven F-104 supersonic jets. Under a memorandum of understanding the firms will provide ground maintenance, chase-plane support, data collection, pilot integration, safety oversight and regulatory alignment as they pursue Federal Aviation Administration certification for commercial missions. The partnership also serves as a joint response to a NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center request for information on commercial microgravity capabilities.
Data & Statistics
- Partnership formed March 2024, expanded May 20 2024 to integrate Mu-G’s Falcon 50 with Starfighters’ seven F-104 jets.
- Q1 2024 operating expenses $4.1 M, net loss $4.3 M, cash $1.4 M; no revenue reported.
- Company seeks additional debt or equity financing to remain a going concern.
- Two former Blue Origin New Glenn managers hired to advance the Starlaunch suborbital program.
Why It Matters
NASA calls the pool of reliable microgravity providers highly limited. Starfighters’ combined microgravity and supersonic test environment addresses growing demand from government and commercial customers for flexible platforms that support research, training and in-space manufacturing, potentially broadening access and speeding development of microgravity technologies.
Official Statements & Responses (Summarized)
CEO Tim Franta said the Falcon 50 integration creates a single site for microgravity and supersonic testing and that the joint response to NASA’s RFI is a step toward a dependable offering for the agency and the research community. He noted the shift from exclusive high-g services to full-range g-force capabilities, citing rising interest in microgravity research and in-space manufacturing. Franta highlighted Starfighters’ blend of an operational aviation platform with experienced microgravity-mission support as a differentiator.
Verbatim Quotes
- “By bringing Mu-G’s Falcon 50 into our Midland facility, we are creating a single location where researchers and customers will be able to access both microgravity and supersonic test environments,” — Tim Franta, CEO, Starfighters Space
- “Responding jointly to NASA’s RFI is the next step in building that offering into something the agency and the broader research community can rely on.” — Tim Franta
- “In the past we have concentrated on high-gs, high-altitude and had clients who required negative gs,” — Tim Franta
- “What differentiates the Starfighters approach is the ability to leverage a unique operational aviation platform alongside a team experienced in designing and supporting microgravity missions.” — Tim Franta
What’s Next
Starfighters plans to secure FAA certification for commercial microgravity flights, advance its suborbital Starlaunch service using F-104 jets, and attract additional research and commercial customers as demand for flexible microgravity platforms grows.
