SpaceX successfully launched its Starfall return capsule for a second flight on Thursday, Oct. 20, as part of the Bandwagon‑5 rideshare mission. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7:04 a.m. EDT (1104 GMT), carrying a total of 32 payloads into low‑Earth orbit.
Starfall capsule details
Starfall, a disk‑shaped return vehicle, measures roughly 2.5 feet (0.75 m) in height and 10.2 feet (3.1 m) in diameter. The capsule’s dry mass is about 4,600 pounds (2,100 kg), and it is capable of bringing back up to 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg) of scientific or manufacturing payloads. The vehicle’s stated purpose is to provide “affordable, routine access to the microgravity environment for scientific research and in‑space manufacturing,” a description taken from a SpaceX post on the day of its inaugural flight.
The first flight of Starfall occurred on June 23, when the capsule rode a dedicated Falcon 9 launch from the same Florida launch site. That mission was intended as a demonstration, proving that the capsule could maneuver in orbit and survive re‑entry through Earth’s atmosphere. The Oct. 20 flight marks only the second time the vehicle has been sent to space.
Bandwagon‑5 payloads and deployment
Alongside Starfall, Bandwagon‑5 carried a diverse set of secondary payloads. Notable among them is Varda Space Industries’ W‑Series 7, an orbital “mini‑factory” designed to host production of high‑value goods such as pharmaceuticals and to return those products safely to Earth. Another highlighted payload is Pelican‑12, an Earth‑observation satellite built by Planet, a San Francisco‑based company.
The remaining payloads consist of a mix of cubesats and microsats, as described in SpaceX’s mission overview. Deployment of the 32 items began about 57 minutes after liftoff and continued over a two‑hour window. Starfall was the final payload to separate, detaching from the Falcon 9’s upper stage at 2 hours and 48 minutes post‑launch.
Meanwhile, the Falcon 9’s first stage completed its standard return profile, touching down on the autonomous drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” in the Atlantic Ocean roughly nine minutes after launch. This booster performed its 19th mission, according to SpaceX records.
Bandwagon‑5 is one of two rideshare programs operated by SpaceX. The other, known as Transporter, has conducted 18 missions to date and holds the record for the most payloads on a single launch, delivering 143 satellites on its inaugural flight in January 2021.
SpaceX’s continued use of rideshare flights like Bandwagon‑5 underscores the company’s strategy of offering flexible, cost‑effective access to orbit for a wide range of customers, from emerging satellite manufacturers to research institutions seeking microgravity environments. The repeat flight of the Starfall capsule highlights the growing interest in in‑space manufacturing and the potential for regular, low‑cost return of experimental payloads to Earth.
As the Starfall capsule completes its second mission, the broader space community will be watching for data on its performance, which could shape future commercial and scientific activities in low‑Earth orbit.
Norman Pearlstine is the Executive Editor and Co-Founder at News Raise. With over two decades of experience across financial journalism, corporate governance, and market analysis, Norman leads the editorial direction and ensures strict adherence to journalistic accuracy and ethics.
