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Tim Franta

Chief Executive Officer, Starfighters Space, Inc.

Search every verified Tim Franta interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Tim Franta, CEO of Starfighters Space, has been promoting the company’s air-launch approach for small satellites and payloads. In recent interviews, he described plans to conduct underwing tests of the company’s first rocket in December 2026, followed by drop tests and, potentially, a first suborbital launch to about 109 kilometers within the following year. He stated that the company focuses on the small- and medium-payload market rather than competing with larger launch providers, and he framed the F-104 fleet as a reusable first stage that reduces rocket size and fuel requirements by reaching high altitude and speed before launch. Franta also discussed the company’s use of its supersonic aircraft as an alternative to wind tunnels for hypersonic and supersonic testing, citing long wait times and high costs for conventional facilities. He referenced an August ignition test of engine igniters at Mach 2.02 that earned coverage in Aviation Week, and he said the company has partnerships with organizations including the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, GE, and Space Florida. He described hypersonics as likely to sustain the business for the next decade, while asserting that the main growth area is in small payloads for customers developing new technologies.

Recent appearances

  • Starfighters Space CEO Tim Franta on Using Jets to Launch Payloads into Space

    October 21, 2026 · 📺 New York Stock Exchange

    How can aircraft-based launches help meet the growing demand for small satellite and space technology deployments? In this NYSE Live interview, Tim Franta, CEO of Starfighters Space, discusses the company's unique air-launch approach, growing opportunities in the small payload market, and how supersonic aircraft are helping advance commercial, academic, and defense-related space missions. Franta explains that Starfighters Space operates differently from traditional launch providers by focusing on small satellites, technology demonstrations, and specialized payloads. Rather than relying solel…

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  • Starfighters Space CEO Tim Franta Featured On Benzinga PreMarket Playbook

    October 19, 2026 · 📺 Starfighters Space

    🎯 Benzinga's All-Access: We spotlight growth stocks and the brilliant minds driving them forward. Gain exclusive insights and insider access to help you make smarter investing decisions in today’s fast-moving market. 📺 8:45A ET • Tim Franta, CEO - Starfighters Space Inc. https://starfightersspace.com (NYSE AMERICAN: FJET) Learn more about Starfighters Space: Website: https://starfightersspace.com/ Investor Relations: https://ir.starfightersspace.com/ Instagram: / starfightersspace X: https://x.com/StarfightersInc https://www.benzinga.com/partner-disc... This presentation contains "for…

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  • Starfighters Space: Can a Mach 2 F-104 Reinvent Space Launch?

    October 01, 2026 · 📺 Stockhouse

    Starfighters Space (NYSE American: FJET) is developing an unconventional approach to space launch: using its fleet of supersonic F-104 aircraft as a reusable first stage, carrying payloads to approximately 45,000 feet before launch. CEO and Director Tim Franta joins Ricki Lee to explain the STARLAUNCH platform, the company's commercial aerospace testing business, and the milestones ahead as it works through the FAA launch licensing process. Starfighters Space currently operates from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and says its F-104 fleet is also being used for high-speed aerospace research and te…

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  • Tim Franta Featured On The Fighter Pilot Podcast

    August 05, 2026 · 📺 Starfighters Space

    Originally recorded and produced by the Fighter Pilot Podcast on August 3, 2026. Episode overview: Tim Franta, CEO of ...

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  • Air Launch, Hypersonics & Responsive Space: Inside Starfighters Space | Tim Franta

    July 22, 2026 · 📺 Progress, Potential, and Possibilities and Starfighters Space

    For decades, getting to space has largely meant one thing: launching vertically atop massive rockets from fixed launch pads. But what if the future of space access also includes aircraft capable of flying at more than twice the speed of sound, launching payloads from the edge of the atmosphere, and providing researchers with affordable access to hypersonic flight and microgravity? Joining us today is Tim Franta, Chief Executive Officer of Starfighters Space ( https://starfightersspace.com/ ), an aerospace company operating the world's only commercial fleet of flight-ready Mach 2+ F-104 Starfi…

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  • Why the Defense Industry is Turning to Mach 2+ Commercial Flight Testing | FJET CEO Tim Franta

    June 25, 2026 · 📺 Starfighters Space

    Starfighters Space (NYSE: FJET) CEO Tim Franta joined The Watchlist to discuss the Company's role in the rapidly expanding commercial space economy, the growing demand for hypersonic flight testing, and the long-term vision behind the Star Launch program. During the interview, Tim explains how Starfighters Space leverages the world's only commercial fleet of flight-ready F-104 Starfighters capable of sustained Mach 2 operations to support Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E), high-altitude flight testing, pilot training, and future airborne launch capabilities. Tim also discuss…

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  • Starfighters Space Director Tim Franta Explains How its Fleet ‘Sustains Mach 2’

    June 16, 2026 · 📺 Starfighters Space

    Original source/publisher: NYSE Original video:    • Starfighters Space Director Tim Franta Exp...   This video includes third-party footage originally published by NYSE. Starfighters Space Inc. does not claim ownership of any third-party footage, broadcast materials, logos, trademarks, graphics, or media assets included in this upload. All rights remain with their respective owners. This upload is shared for informational, archival, and media-coverage purposes, with credit to the original publisher. No affiliation, sponsorship, approval, or endorsement by NYSE is implied unless expressly st…

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  • Stocks & Markets Podcast: Going Hypersonic With Starfighters Space

    March 17, 2026 · 📺 TheStreetPro

    Tim Franta, Starfighters' new CEO, and Chris Versace discuss the rapidly growing space market, satellite launches, hypersonic rockets, and more. If you're not a member of TheStreet Pro, please join us at www.pro.thestreet.com. This conversation is provided for informational purposes only and shall in no event be construed as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. The information described herein is taken from sources, which we believe to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed by us. The opinions expressed herein may…

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  • Today on NYSE Live | Cape Canaveral, Fla.–based Starfighters Space Rings Bell to Celebrate Listing

    February 20, 2026 · 📺 New York Stock Exchange

    The New York Stock Exchange welcomes Starfighters Space (NYSE American: FJET) to the podium. To honor the occasion, Tim ...

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  • Starfighters Space Director Tim Franta Explains How its Fleet ‘Sustains Mach 2’

    February 20, 2026 · 📺 New York Stock Exchange

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  • Starfighters Space: F-104 Pilots Talk Rocket Launches!

    May 16, 2025 · 📺 WOLF Financial

    STARFIGHTERS SPACE Here's the link to Equifund page we're talking about in the video.

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  • Starfighters Space: F-104s & Your Stake in Space!

    May 16, 2025 · 📺 WOLF Financial

    STARFIGHTERS SPACE Here’s the link to Equifund page we’re talking about in the video. ⬇️ https://invest.equifund.com/offering/... Blast off with Starfighters Space, the world’s only commercial operator of F-104 Starfighters revolutionizing aerospace! 🚀 In this video, we dive into their legacy at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where they launch payloads to 45,000 feet and conduct hypersonic testing. Discover how partnerships with Lockheed Martin, GE, and Space Florida drive their mission to make space access affordable and efficient. This is the page which has more information about the comp…

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The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →