Starfighters completes key wind tunnel campaign for STARLAUNCH 1 air launch vehicle

by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 26, 2026
Starfighters Space Inc has completed a dedicated wind tunnel campaign for its STARLAUNCH 1 air launched rocket, marking a key technical milestone in the development of the sub orbital vehicle. The program focused on validating how the rocket separates from the companys supersonic aircraft platform under a range of flight conditions.

The test series examined STARLAUNCH 1 separation behavior at both subsonic and supersonic speeds, specifically at Mach 0.85 and Mach 1.3. Engineers combined computational fluid dynamics analysis with physical wind tunnel testing to measure forces, moments and flow interactions as the vehicle released from the carrier aircraft.

Across all evaluated conditions, the tests demonstrated clean separation of the launch vehicle from the aircraft with no adverse aerodynamic interactions reported. This outcome is described as a foundational requirement for any air launched system, where predictable clearance between the carrier platform and the rocket is critical to safety and performance.

"Demonstrating clean, predictable separation across these flight regimes is a foundational requirement for an air launched system," said Rick Svetkoff, Chief Executive Officer of Starfighters. "The close alignment between our simulations and the wind tunnel results gives us confidence in the underlying design and allows us to proceed methodically to the next phase of testing."

The wind tunnel campaign comprised ten successful runs covering the planned subsonic and supersonic test points. Results from the facility showed strong agreement with Starfighters pre test CFD predictions, reinforcing confidence in the companys aerodynamic models and separation simulations for STARLAUNCH 1.

Testing took place at the FAMU/FSU Joint College of Engineering Polysonic Wind Tunnel, which can operate across multiple Mach regimes. The close correlation between numerical simulations and experimental data is described as an important risk reduction step as the program moves from analytical validation toward building and testing physical flight hardware.

With the wind tunnel work complete, Starfighters has moved ahead to procure instrumented drop test articles that will be used in future flight testing. These units will be equipped with onboard sensors and telemetry systems to capture detailed separation dynamics under real flight conditions, providing another layer of validation before proceeding toward operational missions.

STARLAUNCH 1 is being developed as a sub orbital vehicle designed to support short duration microgravity missions. The platform is intended to act as a pathfinder for future air launched concepts while also providing a near term capability for experiments and payloads requiring brief microgravity exposure.

The validated separation work also feeds into Starfighters broader aerospace testing services portfolio. The company notes that the same expertise and infrastructure can support advanced and hypersonic vehicle programs where clean separation from an aircraft or other carrier platform is a critical requirement.

Starfighters Space Inc operates a fleet of modified supersonic aircraft from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, configured to carry payloads to high altitude for air launch applications. By combining high speed flight, air launch architecture and dedicated test services, the company aims to position itself as a cost effective launch and test provider in the emerging commercial space sector.