Starfighters Space expects a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter to carry the first STARLAUNCH 1 flight vehicle beneath its wing in December. The first flight is planned from Kennedy Space Center to the FAA-licensed Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville, Florida. The rocket will remain attached to the aircraft throughout the captive-carry mission.
The December sortie is expected to be the first step in a multi-flight campaign, rather than an attempt to release or ignite the rocket. Starfighters plans to follow it with a drop test over the Atlantic Ocean and subsequently a demonstration of the integrated propulsion system.
