Issued on behalf of Starfighters Space, Inc.

Starfighters Space (NYSE American: FJET) added senior leaders from Blue Origin’s New Glenn program — a small move with outsized signal value as the U.S. space sector positions ahead of the SpaceX IPO.

Key Takeaways:

• Starfighters Space (NYSE American: FJET) appointed Jose Arias as Vice President, Space Operations, and Catrina L. Medeiros as Director, STARLAUNCH Operations — both arriving from Blue Origin’s New Glenn program. [1]
• Mr. Arias led process work at Blue Origin that compressed integration cycle time from 76 days to 13 days. Ms. Medeiros previously managed the New Glenn Stage 2 program and spent over a decade on Lockheed Martin’s Orion crew module program at Kennedy Space Center. [1]
• The hires sit on top of progress with GE Aerospace on STARLAUNCH 1, an expanded technical interchange with Blackstar Orbital, and a partnership with Mu-G Technologies for microgravity flight missions. [1]
  

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., May 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World Street Intelligence News Commentary — Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE American: FJET), the operator of the world’s largest commercial supersonic aircraft fleet, today announced two senior appointments drawn directly from Blue Origin’s New Glenn program. [1] The hires reflect a sector-wide shift in which the scarce resource is no longer technology or capital — it is operational tempo, and the people capable of delivering it.

Jose Arias, joining as Vice President, Space Operations, served at Blue Origin as Senior Manufacturing Engineer and Integration & Production Lead, working across propulsion system hardware in roles of increasing responsibility and leading process improvements that compressed integration cycle time from 76 days to 13 days. [1] He is a decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran who completed four overseas tours, received the Purple Heart twice, and graduated first in his class of 819 Marines.

Catrina L. Medeiros, joining as Director, STARLAUNCH Operations, was Operations Manager for Blue Origin’s New Glenn Stage 2 and Precision Cleaning Facility programs and previously spent more than ten years at Lockheed Martin Space Systems as a Senior Manufacturing Planner on the Orion crew module program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. [1] She will lead execution of the Wind Tunnel in the Sky and STARLAUNCH I programs under Mr. Arias’s direction.

Starfighters CEO Tim Franta framed the strategic intent in the announcement: the next barrier in the space economy is “not access, but execution,” with the challenge being to get to space repeatedly, reliably, and at operational tempo. [1] The hires sit on top of recent program progress, including STARLAUNCH 1 advancement with GE Aerospace through wind tunnel testing and Critical Design Review, an expanded technical interchange with Blackstar Orbital around its SpaceDrone reusable platform, and a partnership with Mu-G Technologies on microgravity flight missions. [1]

The backdrop matters. SpaceX confidentially filed its draft IPO registration with the SEC on April 1, 2026, with a public S-1 expected ahead of a roadshow targeted for the week of June 8, 2026, at a reported valuation in the $1.75 trillion to $2 trillion range. [2] That setup is forcing a re-evaluation of every other listed operator — particularly those with a defensible angle on commercial cadence and dual-use defense applications.

Other developments across the listed aerospace and defense sector:

The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) continues to operate as the most visible test case for what scale and recovery look like in U.S. aerospace. Boeing reported Q1 2026 revenue of $22.2 billion with a record total backlog of $695 billion, including over 6,100 commercial airplanes, while its Defense, Space, and Security segment reported $7.6 billion in revenue with a 3.1% operating margin and a record defense backlog of $86 billion (27% of which is from international customers). [3] Boeing is producing the 737 program at 42 aircraft per month with plans to reach 47 per month by summer 2026, and the Company has maintained guidance for $1 billion to $3 billion in free cash flow for full-year 2026. [3] Recent program activity includes confirmation that the ViaSat-3 F3 satellite reached healthy orbit on April 29, 2026, and a seven-year framework agreement with the U.S. Department of War to triple production of PAC-3 seekers to meet global demand. [4]

AeroVironment, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVAV) is operating at the intersection of unmanned systems, space-grade electro-optics, and human-performance technology — adjacent in many ways to Starfighters’ aerospace testing services thesis. The Company recently secured a U.S. Army prototype agreement for its Switchblade 400 loitering munition under the LASSO program, and earlier in April announced a $14.6 million U.S. Army production contract for its VAPOR Compact Long Endurance unmanned aircraft system. [5] [6] AeroVironment also unveiled the MAYHEM 10 multi-role launched-effects platform, supplied precision pointing hardware for NASA’s Artemis II optical laser communications mission, and won a three-year, $25 million U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory deal through its UES division for sensors, wearables, and AI/ML analytics. [6] The Company reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $821 million, with trailing-twelve-month results through early 2026 reaching roughly $1.61 billion following the BlueHalo acquisition. [7]

The takeaway for Starfighters’ positioning

Operationally proven hires, an active partnership stack, and a Cape Canaveral-adjacent footprint at NASA Kennedy Space Center add up to a positioning that is hard to replicate elsewhere on the listed space board. As the sector reprices around tempo, Starfighters’ stack of MACH 2+ aircraft, GE Aerospace engagement, Blackstar Orbital integration work, Mu-G Technologies microgravity partnership, and now Blue Origin operational leadership continues to assemble in plain sight.

For more information on Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE American: FJET) please visit: https://starfightersspace.com/ or https://usanewsgroup.com/fjet-landing

Media Contact
Market IQ Media Group
604-265-2873
info@marketiqmedia.com

Article Sources:

[1] https://ir.starfightersspace.com/news-events/press-releases [2] https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/05/06/spacex-ipo-stock-will-do-this-when-starts-trading/ [3] https://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/bank-of-america-makes-fresh-call-on-boeing-stock-price [4] https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements [5] https://coincentral.com/aerovironment-avav-stock-wins-u-s-army-prototype-deal-for-switchblade-400-drone/ [6] https://simplywall.st/stocks/us/capital-goods/nasdaq-avav/aerovironment/news/aerovironment-avav-is-up-80-after-new-army-drone-deal-and-na [7] https://247wallst.com/investing/2026/05/03/which-drone-stock-will-dominate-the-next-war-avav-ktos-or-onds/

DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a digital media distribution and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. This article is being distributed for World Street Intelligence on behalf of Market IQ Media Group Inc. (“MIQ”). Regarding this publication, MIQ has been paid a fee for Starfighters Space, Inc. advertising and digital media from Creative Direct Marketing Group (“CDMG”). There may be 3rd parties who may have shares of Starfighters Space, Inc., and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. The owner/operator of MIQ also owns shares of Starfighters Space, Inc., that were purchased in the open market and reserves the right to buy and sell, and will buy and sell shares of Starfighters Space, Inc. at any time without any further notice commencing immediately and ongoing. This potential for trading constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. Please let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material, including this article, which is disseminated by MIQ has been reviewed and approved by the company directly (Starfighters Space, Inc.), and CDMG.

While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and we undertake no obligation to update such statements.