The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Starfighters Space: Inside The Company Flying F-104s From Kennedy Space Center
The American flying outfit using Cold War fighters to launch satellites.
Starfighters Space operates the world’s only civilian fleet of flight-ready Lockheed F-104 Starfighters, a distinctive fleet highlighted for its ongoing activity.
The company is based in a hangar adjacent to the old Space Shuttle runway at Kennedy Space Center, placing it at a notable aerospace hub.
Starfighters Space was founded in 1995 by pilot Rick Svetkoff, and since then has maintained the aircraft in active service for more than two decades.
The information provided identifies the fleet and its location, but does not specify additional details about individual aircraft, explicit missions, dates beyond the founding year, or current operations beyond the fleet’s ongoing readiness.
The article notes Luke Diaz as a freelance military writer with prior US Navy experience and expertise in defense and industrial engineering, but it does not include direct quotes or supplemental insights about the company’s activities.