Speed Superiority: U.S. Defense Spending Surges for Hypersonics and Rapid Launch

VANCOUVER, Jan. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- USA News Group News Commentary – As global adversaries field operational hypersonic vehicles, the U.S. has reached a 'Sputnik moment' for tactical space access. With the Pentagon committing over $6.9 billion to hypersonic weapons development for FY 2025^[1], the market is no longer looking for 'cheap rides'—it is looking for Speed Superiority. Now , the hypersonic technology market is projected to reach $8.46 billion in 2025, driven by these recent hypersonic weapons Pentagon allocations^[2]. This strategic pivot toward speed and agility drives the investment thesis for Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE-A: FJET), AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS), Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB), L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX), and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS).

Global commercial space launch services are expanding at a 14.6% CAGR, with the sector valued at $8.2 billion in 2024 as satellite operators demand rapid deployment and mission flexibility^[3]. Space Force FY 2026 budget authorizations approaching $40 billion underscore the urgency for reusable platforms, hypersonic propulsion systems, and resilient satellite networks that can respond to emerging threats within hours rather than months^[4].

Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE-A: FJET) closed out 2025 by recently providing a year-end corporate update following its successful listing on the NYSE American exchange, highlighting what the aerospace company describes as a transformational year.

Operating out of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida alongside major players like SpaceX and Blue Origin, Starfighters owns and operates the world's largest commercial supersonic aircraft fleet, a defensible operational monopoly as the only commercial entity globally capable of sustained MACH 2 mission profiles.

The company's platform centers on a fleet of seven F-104 Starfighter aircraft, the only commercially available jets capable of sustained MACH 2 flight. These aircraft serve as a reusable first stage, carrying payloads to 45,000 feet before launching them toward space. This approach offers customers something traditional rocket launches cannot: flexible scheduling, rapid turnaround times, and the ability to choose specific orbital destinations without the delays that plague rideshare launch systems.

"Starfighters' public listing represents a significant milestone for the Company and reflects growing investor interest in companies providing real-world aerospace capabilities aligned with national security, space access, and advanced testing requirements," said Rick Svetkoff, CEO of Starfighters. "The Company is well positioned to deliver services to a range of customers through our fast, innovative and unique platform."

The timing of Starfighters' market entry aligns with shifting policy priorities. A December 18, 2025 White House Executive Order on space superiority emphasized responsive architectures, accelerated commercial integration, and expanded testing capabilities. The order reinforces demand for exactly what Starfighters provides: commercially operated platforms supporting government, defense, and space-adjacent missions.

Starfighters generates revenue through multiple channels beyond satellite launches. The company supports hypersonic weapons testing in partnership with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), addresses a critical national security priority given that both Russia and China have deployed operational hypersonic systems. With strategic competitors like Russia and China having already fielded operational hypersonic vehicles, Starfighters' specialized testing partnership with the AFRL establishes the company as a 'critical path' for the United States to achieve and maintain technological parity. Additional services include payload testing, pilot training, microgravity experiments, and spaceflight hardware qualification.

Current customers span defense and commercial sectors, including Lockheed Martin, GE, Innoveering, Space Florida, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. The company's STARLAUNCH program, based on proven AIM-120 missile technology with over 17,500 units built, targets small satellite operators facing the industry's fundamental dilemma: expensive dedicated launches versus unpredictable rideshare schedules.

With projected costs around $15,000 per kilogram at scale, Starfighters aims to occupy the middle ground between these options while offering superior schedule control and mission flexibility.

By targeting a scaled cost of $15,000 per kilogram, Starfighters Space Inc. provides a high-cadence, cost-resilient alternative to expensive dedicated launches, positioning it as a vital solution for a Pentagon focused on maximizing its $40 billion Space Force budget amid shifting fiscal priorities.

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) recently successfully launched BlueBird 6, the largest commercial communications array ever deployed in low Earth orbit at nearly 2,400 square feet—over three times the size and ten times the capacity of the company's existing satellites currently in orbit.

The satellite, which lifted off December 23, 2025 from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre, is designed to enable peak data rates up to 120 Mbps directly to standard mobile devices, supporting voice, data, and video applications critical for both commercial users and government operations. The advanced platform addresses critical security and connectivity needs by providing reliable communications infrastructure accessible anywhere on Earth, including remote and disaster-affected areas where traditional terrestrial networks are unavailable or compromised.

"BlueBird 6 is a breakthrough moment for AST SpaceMobile," said Abel Avellan, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. "This launch validates years of U.S. innovation and American manufacturing, executed by our team and marks the transition to scaled deployment."

The company plans to launch 45-60 satellites by the end of 2026, with missions scheduled every one to two months on average, as it builds out global coverage for its network of over 50 mobile operator partners representing nearly 3 billion subscribers combined. AST SpaceMobile maintains partnerships with major carriers including AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Rakuten, Google, American Tower, Bell, and stc Group, while operating nearly 500,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities worldwide supported by over 1,800 employees.

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDQ: RKLB) concluded 2025 with its 21st successful Electron launch of the year, achieving 100% mission success while deploying the QPS-SAR-15 synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japan-based Earth imaging company Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS). The December 21st mission from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand adds critical imaging capabilities to iQPS' constellation, which provides near-real-time surveillance imagery across twelve different orbits for customers requiring persistent Earth observation for security and defense applications. The record-setting performance cements Electron as both America's preeminent small launch provider and the world's most frequently-launched small-lift orbital rocket, demonstrating the reliability required for national security missions.

"In 2026 we're expanding Electron's global reach with more multi-launch constellation deployments, dedicated missions for domestic civil space and international space agencies in Japan and Europe, and both suborbital and orbital launches with defense applications for hypersonic technology and national security," said Sir Peter Beck, Founder and CEO of Rocket Lab. "Our new record of annual launches and the breadth of upcoming missions goes to show how much of a global impact Electron continues to have on the space industry."

Rocket Lab has completed seven satellite deployments for iQPS to date, making Electron the primary launcher for the constellation, with five additional missions scheduled beginning in 2026. The company's 79 total Electron missions have established the platform as essential infrastructure for defense customers requiring rapid, reliable access to space for surveillance, communications, and emerging hypersonic test applications.

L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) recently received a letter of intent from Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) for a commercial contract to produce 60 Zeus hypersonic motors, representing a more than 50% increase in L3Harris' annual production rate for these advanced propulsion systems.

The Zeus motors support U.S. Department of Defense customers conducting critical hypersonic vehicle and ballistic missile defense testing, including programs such as the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed, following successful development and flight testing of both Zeus 1 and 2 motor variants by Kratos. The expanded production addresses accelerating demand for hypersonic test capabilities as the Pentagon, National Science Foundation, and U.S. Congress pursue development of hypersonic systems to counter advanced threats from strategic competitors.

"We are pleased to continue working with Kratos and to support significant production increases for the Zeus advanced large solid rocket motors," said Ken Bedingfield, President of Aerojet Rocketdyne at L3Harris. "By incorporating cutting-edge propulsion technology and delivering unmatched performance, these motors meet the rigorous demands of today's missions while scaling for the challenges of tomorrow."

The Zeus motors replace legacy suborbital rocket motors in fit and form while delivering increased performance when integrated with existing test infrastructure and vehicle designs, enabling faster iteration cycles for hypersonic weapons development without requiring costly ground infrastructure modifications.

L3Harris designs the motors at its Huntsville, Alabama facility to Kratos specifications and manufactures them at the company's nearly 2,000-acre energetics campus in Camden, Arkansas, where it produces more than 115,000 solid rocket motors annually—from palm-sized units to systems the size of an SUV. The production expansion comes as both Russia and China field operational hypersonic vehicles, with the Pentagon publicly committing $4.7 billion for hypersonic research in 2023 according to Congressional Research Service reporting, underscoring the strategic importance of domestic hypersonic test capabilities for maintaining U.S. technological superiority.

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SOURCES CITED:

1. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/ensuring-american-space-superiority/
2. https://www.openpr.com/news/4154538/emerging-trends-to-reshape-the-hypersonic-technology-market
3. https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/commercial-space-launch-market
4. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-force-spending-could-hit-40b-in-2026/