Starfighters Unveils Modular F-104 Test Platform
Florida-based Starfighters Space released first images of a modular high-speed test platform built for its Lockheed F-104 aircraft.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Space
Starfighters Space, a Florida-based operator of the Lockheed F-104, has released first images of its 12-ft. modular test platform, which was delivered by Italian engineering firm Robby Moto Engineering (RME). The missile-like unit is designed to support reusable Mach 2-plus testing in real atmospheric conditions.
Why it matters
The platform is part of Starfighters' plan to broaden the F-104's utility for high-speed test roles, with the company saying the design was driven by interest from the Pentagon and researchers. Its interchangeable components allow configuration changes for different test roles.
The 12-ft. test platform is designed to be carried under the F-104's existing underwing pylons, with the Starlaunch 1 rocket designed to boost payloads above 100 km (62 mi.) after air launch. Performance claims, including several minutes at Mach 2, have not yet been demonstrated in flight tests.
The players
Starfighters Space
A Florida-based company that operates the Lockheed F-104 for high-speed test missions and is developing the Starlaunch rocket family.
Robby Moto Engineering (RME)
An Italian engineering company that delivered the test platform hardware and initial Starlaunch rocket hardware to Starfighters Space.
The details
The platform uses interchangeable nose sections, tail assemblies, fin configurations and internal payload compartments, and it is compatible with existing F-104 underwing pylon systems. RME also delivered initial hardware for the first version of the Starlaunch rocket family, which is designed to be fired off the wing of the F-104.
Timeline
December 2026: Starlaunch 1 initial captive-carry flight tests are expected to begin.
Big Picture
Starfighters is repurposing the Lockheed F-104, a Cold War-era fighter, as a carrier for modern high-speed testing and air-launched suborbital payloads. The approach follows a long tradition of using aging military aircraft as flying test beds, now aimed at hypersonic materials and technology evaluation.
The platform could give researchers a faster, reusable way to test hypersonic materials and designs in real atmospheric conditions. Commercial availability and timelines for outside customers have not been announced.
The takeaway
Reusable test aircraft like the modified F-104 could lower the cost of evaluating high-speed technologies before they reach orbit. Watch for the first captive-carry results expected later this year.
What happens next
Starlaunch 1 initial captive-carry flight tests are expected in December 2026 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Further reading
Explore more in Space coverage of Florida's aerospace industry.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Aviation Week.
