SpaceX launches its 'Starfall' return capsule for 2nd time ever (video)

SpaceX launched its Starfall return capsule for the second time on the Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission with 32 payloads aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The capsule debuted in June on a dedicated demonstration flight to prove controlled flight and atmospheric survival. According to a Federal Aviation Administration assessment, the disk-shaped vehicle is roughly 2.5 feet tall and 10.2 feet wide, weighs about 4,600 pounds, and can return 2,200 pounds of payload. SpaceX says Starfall will provide affordable, routine microgravity access for research and manufacturing.

Other payloads included Varda Space Industries' W-Series 7 mini-factory and Planet's Pelican-12 satellite among cubesats and microsats. Deployment was planned over nearly two hours starting about 57 minutes after launch, with Starfall releasing last at two hours and 48 minutes. The Falcon 9 first stage landed on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas nine minutes post-launch for its 19th flight. Bandwagon is one of two SpaceX rideshare programs; Transporter has flown 18 missions since January 2021.

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SpaceX launches its 'Starfall' return capsule for 2nd time ever (video) — Space.com