Mach 2 and Beyond: Aerospace Enters Its Biggest Spending Cycle

Issued on behalf of Starfighters Space

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Equity Insider News Commentary — Congress approved $839 billion in Pentagon funding for fiscal 2026, $8 billion more than the Department of Defense requested, with billions earmarked for space, missile defense, and advanced aerospace systems^[1]. The Pentagon’s $152 billion reconciliation spending plan allocates $2.2 billion specifically to accelerate hypersonic defense systems and $5.6 billion for space-based interceptors^[2]. Companies positioned across aerospace testing, defense technology, and space infrastructure include Starfighters Space (NYSE-A: FJET), Kratos Defense (NASDAQ: KTOS), V2X (NYSE: VVX), Redwire (NYSE: RDW), and Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ: LUNR).

The FAA licensed 205 commercial space operations in 2025, a 25% increase over the prior year, with projections showing licensed launches could double by 2029^[3]. Separately, an additional $24.4 billion in new missile defense funding under the Golden Dome initiative is expected to drive sustained demand across satellite ground systems, advanced propulsion, and airborne test platforms^[4].

Starfighters Space (NYSE American: FJET) recently announced an expansion of its operations at Midland International Air & Space Port, relocating aircraft, engines, and support equipment to increase mission cadence and geographic flexibility. The company reports four F-104 aircraft and 14 GE J-79 engines now stationed at Midland, with plans to double that number within 18 months.

From Midland, Starfighters can reach nine locations across the U.S. Southwest, including spaceports, Air Force bases, and test ranges in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nevada, Utah, and California. The expansion complements the company’s headquarters at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, providing operational resilience across two strategic hubs.

“Midland’s strategic location allows us to reach nine different air and spaceport locations,” said Tim Franta, Chief Executive Officer at Starfighters. “The flexibility of the Starfighters platform allows us to scale operations rapidly, especially compared to static vertical launch sites.”

The Midland site also supports Starfighters’ partnership with the Midland Development Corporation on high-speed corridor initiatives focused on safe supersonic flight over land. The company expects the location to play a growing role as operational cadence increases across its airborne testing and air-launch development programs.

In parallel, Starfighters continues to advance its STARLAUNCH 1 program, having recently announced it is moving forward to Critical Design Review. The next step builds on completed subsonic and supersonic wind tunnel testing at Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion (FCAAP), which demonstrated clean separation behavior at Mach 0.85 and Mach 1.3 across ten successful runs.

Starfighters operates the only commercial fleet in the free world capable of carrying underwing test payloads at speeds greater than Mach 2, or more than 1,500 miles per hour. The company’s growing range of collaborations across defense and space positions its F-104 platform as a versatile high-performance testbed serving both government and commercial partners.

In other industry developments:

Kratos Defense (NASDAQ: KTOS) recently completed the Critical Design Review for the Space Development Agency’s Advanced Fire Control Ground Infrastructure system with zero liens, allowing the program to continue on an accelerated schedule. The CDR was finished just eight months after the preliminary design review, itself completed in five months from the original $116.7 million contract award.

“Completing the critical design review ahead of schedule highlights Kratos’ ability to deliver advanced, software-driven systems faster than traditional development models, enabled by our OpenSpace ground architecture,” said Greg Caicedo, Senior Vice President of Kratos Space.

The company serves as prime contractor for the AFCGI program, overseeing a multi-partner team delivering ground segment capabilities for the SDA’s demonstration systems. Kratos continues to invest in scalable, resilient capabilities aligned with the Pentagon’s expanding space architecture priorities.

V2X (NYSE: VVX) was recently awarded a seat on the Advanced Technology Support Program 5, a $25 billion multiple-award contract administered by the Defense Microelectronics Activity under the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The scope covers engineering development, prototyping, testing, integration, and full lifecycle support for defense systems including AI-optimized platforms.

“Winning a position on the ATSP5 enables V2X as a leader in transformative engineering solutions,” said Jeremy C. Wensinger, President and CEO of V2X. “Our selection places us at the forefront of defense modernization, allowing us to deliver advanced capabilities that don’t simply respond to threats and system obsolescence, but anticipate and evolve with them.”

The contract vehicle provides federal and state agencies streamlined access to V2X’s capabilities in mission-critical solutions, from rapid acquisition and systems engineering to intelligent integration and autonomous system development. The company brings decades of expertise in solving complex engineering challenges at scale.

Redwire (NYSE: RDW) recently reported full-year 2025 results at the top end of its revenue guidance range, with a record contracted backlog of $411.2 million. The company was also awarded a position on the Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD contract, an indefinite-delivery vehicle with a ceiling of $151 billion.

“2025 marked the transformation of Redwire into an integrated, multi-domain space and defense tech company,” said Peter Cannito, Chairman and CEO of Redwire. “This evolution is reflected in our new structure, which we believe will enable us to maintain strong positioning and continue our growth trajectory across both established and rapidly emerging domains. With continued acceleration in contract awards during the fourth quarter of 2025 and confidence provided by our record Backlog1 of $411.2 million, we are entering 2026 with strong momentum.”

The company recently reorganized into dedicated Space and Defense Tech segments, appointing new segment presidents to sharpen its operational focus. Redwire’s growing backlog and structural realignment position it for sustained execution across both established and emerging defense and space domains.

Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ: LUNR) recently announced a $175 million strategic equity investment led by global institutional investors to advance satellite communications and in-space data processing capabilities. The investment follows the company’s $800 million acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems in January.

“We are building a scalable infrastructure platform from low-Earth orbit to the Moon and into deep space,” said Steve Altemus, Chief Executive Officer of Intuitive Machines. “With this investment, we can accelerate the integration of the combined company’s collective capabilities to deliver next-generation data, communications, and space-based infrastructure services.”

The company intends to expand its Near Space Network Services and invest in flight-proven satellite platforms for growth markets including orbital data centers and deep space communications. Intuitive Machines also anticipates near-term awards for NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services and follow-on satellite contracts.

Article Source: equity-insider.com

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SOURCES:
1. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/congress-passes-839-billion-budget-defense/
2. https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2026/02/pentagons-spending-plan-doubles-down-land-air-sea-robots/411628/
3. https://spacenews.com/faa-projects-continuing-growth-in-commercial-space-transportation/
4. https://breakingdefense.com/2026/02/reconciliation-revealed-how-the-pentagon-plans-to-spend-all-152-billion-in-fy26/

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