Overview
- Starfall, which flew on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, made its second orbital outing as the last of 32 payloads deployed on the Bandwagon‑5 Falcon 9 rideshare mission.
- FAA filings describe Starfall as a disk‑shaped reentry capsule about 10.2 feet wide, 2.5 feet tall and able to return roughly 1,000 kg to Earth for experiments or manufactured goods.
- The mission also carried Varda Space Industries' W‑Series 7 mini‑factory, highlighting commercial efforts to make drugs and other products in microgravity and then bring samples back to Earth.
- SpaceX recovered the Falcon 9 first stage at sea about nine minutes after launch on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas, marking the booster’s 19th flight.
- SpaceX has released only sparse details about Starfall’s payloads and has not disclosed where or when the capsule will be recovered, leaving the exact return plan unconfirmed.