Editing Lockheed F-104 Starfighter (section)

=== Use as space launch platform ===
In 2011, [[4Frontiers Corporation]] and [[Starfighters Inc]] (a private F-104 operator) began working together on a project to launch suborbital sounding rockets from F-104s flying out of [[Kennedy Space Center]]. First launches were expected to occur in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Star Lab Suborbital Launch Vehicle: Official Unveiling and Flight Test, October 27, 2011 |url=http://starlab-suborbital.com/Suborbital.html |website=starlab-suborbital.com |access-date=10 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729083500/http://starlab-suborbital.com/Suborbital.html |archive-date=29 July 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://www.citizensinspace.org/2012/03/vintage-fighters-return-as-launch-platforms "Vintage fighters return as launch platforms."] ''citizensinspace.org'', 20 March 2012.</ref>
In early 2016, another venture, CubeCab, was working on a rocket system that would launch [[CubeSat]]s from F-104s.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://spaceref.com/iac2015/bloostar-and-other-smallsat-launchers-look-to-fill-a-need.html |title= Bloostar and other SmallSat Launchers Look to Fill a Need |last1= Boucher |first1= Marc |date= 15 October 2015 |website= spaceref.com |access-date= 2016-03-15 |archive-date= 19 February 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210219142130/https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=009217316079420695036:u6mkq7brjyy |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Technologies |url=http://cubecab.com/technologies.html |website=CubeCab |access-date=22 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160826-the-1950s-jet-launching-tiny-satellites|title=The 1950s jet launching tiny satellites|first=Stephen|last=Dowling}}</ref> The company said it planned to begin providing launch services "in early 2020".<ref>{{cite web |title=Launch Services |url=http://cubecab.com/launch-services.html |website=CubeCab |access-date=22 August 2019}}</ref>{{update inline|date=November 2022}}