Starfighters Space Secures Expanded Blackstar Orbital Deal and Doubles Midland Operations
Starfighters Space expanded its technical interchange with Blackstar Orbital to include integration engineering, wind-tunnel testing, telemetry and range coordination on its F-104 platform. The company transferred BL-75 hardware, plans to double Midland operations within 18 months, and advanced STARLAUNCH 1 toward Critical Design Review after wind-tunnel confirmation.
1. Expanded Technical Collaboration
At the 41st Space Symposium, Starfighters Space broadened its technical interchange with Blackstar Orbital to include integration engineering, carriage and release simulations, wind-tunnel testing, telemetry systems, safety planning and range coordination for Blackstar's SpaceDrone on the F-104 platform. This stepwise agreement extends beyond initial vehicle integration to structured flight readiness validation.
2. Infrastructure and Hardware Transfer
Starfighters transferred a complete BL-75 assembly, counterbalance, sway braces and a jettison piston to support the next phase of Blackstar tests. Meanwhile, operations at Midland have grown to four F-104 aircraft and 14 engines, with plans to double the facility footprint within 18 months to meet surging test demand.
3. STARLAUNCH 1 Development
The company completed wind-tunnel testing on its STARLAUNCH 1 air-launch rocket, confirming clean vehicle separation with no adverse aerodynamic interactions. Starfighters is advancing toward its Critical Design Review under a step-by-step development process that links feasibility moves to separate written flight testing agreements.