By 
Issued on behalf of Starfighters Space, Inc.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World Street Intelligence News Commentary — The space sector enters this week with a structural lift few cycles have seen. A Yahoo Finance segment yesterday with ETF.com president Dave Nadig framed the looming SpaceX IPO as “rocket fuel” for space ETFs and the broader public space economy, noting that multiple ETF issuers are already positioning ahead of the debut. [1] SpaceX confidentially filed its S-1 on April 1, 2026, with public registration expected on EDGAR between May 18 and May 22. The targeted June Nasdaq listing aims to raise as much as US$75 billion at a US$1.75 trillion valuation — the largest IPO in history. [2]
Layered on top of that anchor are NASA's new Moon Base initiative, the Trump administration's Golden Dome missile defense program, an expanded Department of War hypersonic test budget, and a wave of record backlogs being posted across the publicly traded space cohort. Below: the single name that just stepped into a federal procurement opening, plus four others whose Q1 prints define the broader trade.
The Catalyst: A NASA RFI Meets a Falcon 50 at Cape Canaveral
Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE American: FJET) — operator of what its own filings describe as the world's fastest fleet of commercial supersonic aircraft — announced yesterday a signed Memorandum of Understanding with Mu-G Technologies, LLC and a joint response to a NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Request for Information for Parabolic Flight Services. The RFI is the agency's signal that it wants the country's commercial microgravity capability rebuilt — a capability the U.S. has gone without since the last domestic operator exited the market. [3]
Under the MOU, Starfighters will host Mu-G's Dassault Falcon 50 at the Midland International Air & Space Port in Texas, where the aircraft will be modified to conduct parabolic test flights and worked through FAA certification. Starfighters provides ground support, chase plane and data collection, expert pilot integration, and safety and regulatory alignment. The combined offering covers four flight environments at one site: microgravity, reduced gravity, and hyper-gravity from the Falcon 50, plus the supersonic regime from Starfighters' F-104s. The NASA RFI specifically asks for “novel or non-traditional flight platforms.” [3]
Starfighters CEO Tim Franta and Mu-G founder Robert S. Ward have known each other for nearly thirty years through the Space Coast aerospace community. Franta took over as CEO in February 2026. [4] Starfighters already flies revenue missions for Lockheed Martin, Space Florida, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. [5] On May 7, it added two senior Blue Origin engineers to lead STARLAUNCH operations. [6]
Four Other Names Riding the Same Wave
M-tron Industries, Inc. (NYSE American: MPTI) — A U.S.-based designer and manufacturer of highly-engineered electronic components for the aerospace, defense, avionics, and space industries. On May 7, M-tron reported Q1 2026 revenue of US$14.7 million, up 15.3% year-over-year, with backlog of US$76.8 million, up 38.4% from the prior-year quarter. Net income per diluted share grew to US$0.67. The company also completed an April 27 rights offering, issuing 713,362 shares and adding approximately US$42.1 million in cash to the balance sheet. CEO Cameron Pforr called Q1 2026 the company's fourth consecutive record-revenue quarter. [7]
Sidus Space, Inc. (Nasdaq: SIDU) — A U.S.-based, vertically integrated space and defense technology company with LizzieSat microsatellites, the Fortis VPX edge-computing platform, and a 24/7 mission control center. On May 14, Sidus reported Q1 2026 revenue of US$359,000, up 51% year-over-year, with gross loss narrowed 36% and net loss reduced 19%. [8] Post-quarter, Sidus closed an April 21 registered direct offering for gross proceeds of US$58.5 million, leaving the company debt-free after repaying all term debt in January. The company is positioning into Missile Defense Agency programs including the SHIELD IDIQ tied to the Golden Dome architecture. [9]
Telesat Corporation (Nasdaq: TSAT) — One of the world's largest satellite operators and developer of the Telesat Lightspeed low-Earth-orbit constellation. On May 5, Telesat reported Q1 2026 revenue of CAD$87 million, with management reiterating 2026 financial guidance and progressing the Lightspeed program through manufacturing and ground-segment milestones. [10] The quarter added new commercial contracts including Northwestel, while management has flagged the ESCAPE government contract as a potential material catalyst into 2026. [11]
Momentus Inc. (Nasdaq: MNTS) — A commercial space company specializing in satellite technology, in-orbit services, and orbital transportation via its Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle platform. Vigoride 7 successfully launched on March 30 aboard SpaceX Transporter-16 with 10 government and commercial payloads. Q1 2026 service revenue of US$3.2 million was up sharply from US$0.3 million in the prior-year period. [12] Management forecasts US$10.0 million in 2026 revenue (a 9x increase over 2025), with Vigoride 8 fully booked for 2027. Momentus holds active contracts with DARPA, U.S. AFRL SpaceWERX, the U.S. Space Force Space Development Agency, NASA, and the Missile Defense Agency, including SHIELD IDIQ access to a US$151 billion 10-year national defense contract vehicle tied to Golden Dome. [13]
The Read
When the anchor of a sector is going public at a US$1.75 trillion valuation, the comparable set for every adjacent name shifts. Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE American: FJET) is among the few publicly traded operators with a flying supersonic fleet today, real revenue from blue-chip aerospace customers, and active positioning into a NASA-defined commercial microgravity opening that does not currently exist domestically. The Mu-G MOU is the next concrete step. As always, investors should do their own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any decision.
For more information on Starfighters Space, Inc., visit: https://usanewsgroup.com/fjet-landing
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