Starfighters Space, the innovative aerospace company, owner and operator of the world’s largest fleet of commercial supersonic aircraft, announced the appointment of two senior leaders from Blue Origin’s New Glenn program, further strengthening its operational capabilities as it advances development of its STARLAUNCH platform.

Jose Arias has been appointed Vice President (VP), Space Operations, and Catrina L. Medeiros has been appointed Director, STARLAUNCH Operations. Mr Arias will oversee all space-related operations for the Company, with Ms Medeiros leading execution of the Wind Tunnel in the Sky and STARLAUNCH I program under his direction. Both bring deep experience executing and scaling complex aerospace systems from development through production and operations, capabilities that are increasingly critical as Starfighters shifts from demonstration to sustained, high-frequency mission execution.

“We are building Starfighters to address the next barrier in the space economy: not access, but execution,” said Tim Franta, CEO of Starfighters Space. “The challenge is no longer getting to space once, but doing it repeatedly, reliably, and at operational tempo. That requires a fundamentally different level of integration across engineering, propulsion, and flight operations. Jose and Catrina have lived that transition on one of the industry’s most advanced launch systems, and their experience will accelerate our path to getting Starfighters to space.”

Mr. Arias brings deep expertise in propulsion integration, production engineering, and high-tempo operational execution, with a proven track record of improving efficiency and throughput in complex hardware environments.

He joins Starfighters from Blue Origin, where he served as Senior Manufacturing Engineer and Integration & Production Lead, working across propulsion system hardware in multiple roles of increasing responsibility. He led process improvements that reduced integration cycle time from 76 days to 13 days, significantly increasing production throughput. A decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Mr. Arias completed four overseas tours, received the Purple Heart twice, and graduated first in his class of 819 Marines. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Florida and is pursuing a Master of Science in Space Operations from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

“Starfighters is entering the initial operational acceleration phase of their business: focusing on executing missions faster and more efficiently,” said Arias. “My job is to bring my Blue Origin and Marine Corps experience to bear and deliver with that same discipline across all of our space operations, from integration through flight, and to accelerate the timelines that get this platform to mission-ready.”

Ms. Medeiros will lead execution of the Wind Tunnel in the Sky and STARLAUNCH I program, bringing more than a decade of experience in aerospace manufacturing operations, cross-functional integration, and production scaling.She joins Starfighters from Blue Origin, where she served as Operations Manager for the New Glenn Stage 2 and Precision Cleaning Facility programs, leading cross-functional teams and managing the transition from development into production operations. Prior to Blue Origin, she spent over ten years at Lockheed Martin Space Systems as a Senior Manufacturing Planner on the Orion crew module program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Ms. Medeiros worked in all space sectors including civil, defense, and global supply chain. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Colorado Technical University, summa cum laude.

“Starfighters’ platform will bring a new level of flexibility and responsiveness to space access,” said Medeiros. “What excites me is the opportunity to accelerate and drive execution on the programs that are already underway - Wind Tunnel in the Sky and STARLAUNCH I programs. My immediate tasking is to build the systems, processes, and teams required to deliver consistently and at scale.”

Wind Tunnel in the Sky refers to using the F-104 to fly as an airborne wind tunnel. The F-104’s flight profile allows it to fly at MACH 2 for over ten minutes, generating the equivalent of 20 traditional 30-second ground wind tunnel runs and compressing what would otherwise take about ten days in a ground facility into one 45-minute flight. These appointments build on Starfighters’ recent momentum, including progress on its STARLAUNCH 1 air-launch platform with GE Aerospace, an expanded technical interchange with Blackstar Orbital, and a partnership with Mu-G Technologies to support microgravity flight missions. The additions reflect the Company’s strategy to assemble an operationally proven team capable of moving beyond development into sustained execution, positioning the Starfighters to meet growing demand across commercial, civil, and national security space programs, where cadence, flexibility, and mission readiness are becoming the defining competitive advantages.

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