Starfighters and Mu-G to Modify Falcon 50 for NASA Microgravity Flight Bid
Starfighters Space signed an MoU with Mu-G Technologies to modify a Dassault Falcon 50 in Midland, Texas for parabolic flight certification and will jointly bid NASA’s Request for Information to restore U.S. commercial microgravity services. It adds ground support, chase-plane integration and data collection to its Mach 2+ F-104 services.
1. MoU for Restoring U.S. Microgravity Flights
Starfighters Space entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Mu-G Technologies to co-locate and modify a Dassault Falcon 50 at its Midland facility in Texas, jointly responding to NASA’s Request for Information aimed at rebuilding the nation’s commercial parabolic flight services.
2. Technical & Facility Integration
Under the MoU, Starfighters will provide ground support, F-104 chase-plane services, expert pilot integration and data collection, while Mu-G advances FAA certification of the Falcon 50 for 20–30 second microgravity parabolas, creating an operational hub for reduced- and hyper-gravity test profiles.
3. Leadership and Strategic Collaboration
Tim Franta, who assumed the role of CEO in February 2026, is leveraging a nearly 30-year relationship with Mu-G founder Robert Ward to pivot the company’s offerings beyond Mach 2+ supersonic missions into microgravity research, aligning with Starfighters’ broader commercialization strategy.
4. Commercial Space Sector Context
The partnership aligns with increased commercial space investment and follows major developments such as SpaceX’s confidential S-1 filing and expanded NASA and defense research budgets, positioning Starfighters and Mu-G to capitalize on growing demand for diverse flight-testing environments.