KSC-2011-7559

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On the runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the parachute on a Starfighters, Inc. F-104 supersonic jet, piloted by Rick Svetkoff, deploys after conducting a high speed taxi test. Hidden from the camera on the right side of the jet is the Star Lab suborbital launch vehicle developed by 4Frontiers Corporation. 4Frontiers is testing the Star Lab suborbital launch vehicle which has the potential to carry payloads into low earth orbit. Tests are being conducted to verify the aeronautical conditions of the Star Lab suborbital launch vehicle. This is the first of eight tests the launch vehicle will undergo. 4Frontiers Corporation is aiming for testing to be completed by early 2012, with commercial flights starting mid-2012. Starfighters, Inc. has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA for the use of the SLF facilities at Kennedy Space Center. Photo credit: NASA_Gianni M. Woods