Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE: FJET) has launched a Strategic Advisory Board and named retired astronaut and former NASA Deputy Administrator Frederick D. Gregory as its inaugural member, a move that signals credibility as the company scales hypersonic flight testing and air-launch operations.
Advisory Board Formation
The board was created to give Starfighters streamlined access to experienced space, defense, government, and technical leaders, offering subject-matter expertise and mentorship as the company expands its high-speed space-testing services, live atmospheric flight activities, and future air-launch initiatives. Gregory is the first name on it, and a marquee one.
Starfighters operates the world's only commercial fleet of flight-ready Mach 2+ supersonic aircraft from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and is advancing STARLAUNCH, its responsive air-launch platform.
Frederick Gregory's Background
Colonel Gregory's career spans nearly every layer of American spaceflight. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 1978, he logged more than 455 hours in space across three Space Shuttle missions, serving as Spacecraft Commander on Discovery (STS-33) and Atlantis (STS-44). He went on to senior NASA leadership, ultimately serving as the agency's Deputy Administrator and Acting Administrator, and earlier as Associate Administrator for Safety and Mission Assurance, the role responsible for the safety culture underpinning the nation's most critical space programs.
For Starfighters, the fit is unusually precise. As a decorated U.S. Air Force test pilot, Gregory has direct operational experience with the F-104 Starfighter, the exact platform the company flies. An advisor who has both run NASA's safety apparatus and personally flown the aircraft at the center of the business is a rare combination, and it speaks directly to the discipline required in high-velocity flight testing.
CEO Statement
“Fred has the perfect background to help Starfighters Space grow,” said Tim Franta, Chief Executive Officer of Starfighters Space. “His unique experience as a pilot, astronaut, former Deputy Administrator of NASA, and especially as the former head of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA provides a strategic perspective that very few individuals in the world can offer. Just as importantly, Fred deeply understands the F-104 platform and the rigorous culture of high-velocity flight testing.”
Market Context
The move lands amid a defense and space-testing spending surge. FJET sits in the broader trade alongside Karman Holdings (NYSE: KRMN), AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS), BlackSky (NYSE: BKSY), and Boeing (NYSE: BA). The appointment underscores Starfighters' focus on high-speed flight testing and responsive launch capabilities, areas gaining traction as government and commercial demand for rapid access to space increases.
