SpaceX launches Starfall return capsule for second test flight aboard rideshare mission
The disk-shaped capsule flew as one of 32 payloads on Bandwagon-5, a Falcon 9 rideshare mission from Cape Canaveral on October 20.
What happened
SpaceX launched its Starfall return capsule for the second time on October 20, 2024, aboard the Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Starfall, measuring 10.2 feet wide and 2.5 feet tall with a mass of approximately 4,600 pounds, flew as one of 32 payloads on the Falcon 9 rocket. The capsule is designed to carry approximately 2,200 pounds of payload back to Earth from the microgravity environment. Starfall was the last payload to separate from the Falcon 9's upper stage, releasing 2 hours and 48 minutes after liftoff. The mission also included Varda Space Industries' W-Series 7 orbital factory and Planet's Pelican-12 Earth-observation satellite among other cubesats and microsats.
Context
Starfall debuted in June 2024 as a demonstration of SpaceX's capability to provide affordable, routine access to microgravity for scientific research and in-space manufacturing, with the second flight validating the system's reusability. The launch underscores growing commercial interest in orbital manufacturing and sample-return capabilities, as evidenced by concurrent payloads like Varda's mini-factory and Planet's observation satellite. Bandwagon-5 represents one of two SpaceX rideshare programs designed to provide cost-efficient access to orbit, with Bandwagon completing this mission and the Transporter program having completed 18 missions with a standing record of 143 payloads on a single Transporter flight in January 2021.