NASA and Starfighters Make Agreement on KSC Runway Use
NASA and Starfighters, Inc., of Tarpon Springs, Fla., tell ANN
that they are partnering to use the space shuttle runway at Kennedy
Space Center to help support the development of the commercial
space industry. Kennedy and the aerospace company have signed a
cooperative space act agreement enabling Starfighters to become a
tenant at Kennedy where it will launch a new business venture with
a fleet of privately-operated Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
aircraft.
The new venture also is enabled by Space Florida, which has
entered into separate agreements with Starfighters to use a
state-built hangar at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF,
and to provide other business assistance.
Under the agreement, Starfighters will be permitted to use the
SLF on a regular basis to conduct flight operations supporting the
test, development, and training activities associated with the
emerging commercial space launch industry, and to advance aerospace
and space-related technology. It also will be permitted to house
and perform maintenance on its aircraft at the SLF and will
reimburse NASA costs associated with its operations at the
center.
"This agreement with Starfighters aligns well with NASA's
mission and national space policy direction to support and enable
the U.S. commercial space industry," said Kennedy Center Director
Bob Cabana. "This activity also will help diversify our uses at the
SLF in a manner compatible with NASA's operations, and help us
sustain the SLF as a unique asset supporting horizontal space
launch and recovery after the shuttle retires."
Starfighters plans to operate its aircraft to simulate
suborbital vehicle trajectories and provide both training and
technology development for the reusable launch vehicle industry. In
addition, the firm may provide flight test services to NASA and
other government users, for other spaceflight and aviation test
activities and other uses approved by NASA pursuant to the
agreement. Starfighters recently was awarded a blanket purchase
agreement from NASA's Airborne Science Program from the Goddard
Space Flight Center in Maryland.
The company plans to relocate all operations to Brevard County
and expects to employ as many as approximately 20 highly-skilled
workers to assist and develop its operations at Kennedy.
Starfighters responded to Kennedy's 2005 request to industry for
interest in use of the SLF, and previously flew several test
flights from the SLF as a demonstration project, which included
testing of a NASA-developed range safety system and an
investigation of the sonic boom characteristics to be anticipated
from suborbital vehicles taking off from and returning to the
SLF.
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