Overview

• Atmos Space Cargo's Phoenix spacecraft was launched on April 21, 2025, aboard SpaceX’s Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission, marking its first test flight.
• The mission successfully collected extensive in-flight spacecraft data and returned data from all four onboard payloads, meeting two of its three primary objectives.
• A last-minute trajectory change by SpaceX, due to the operational needs of the primary payload, led to a steeper reentry and splashdown off Brazil, complicating recovery and imagery efforts.
• Initial telemetry suggests the inflatable heat shield deployed as planned, but Atmos is still analyzing limited final-phase reentry data due to ground station coverage constraints.
• Lessons from this flight will inform improvements to the second Phoenix vehicle, scheduled for launch in 2026, as the company refines its reentry technology.