Today SpaceX deployed and demonstrated the Starfall low cost capsule return system. This a demo of a new vehicle that will enable affordable, routine access

SpaceX launched Starfall on Tuesday morning, June 23, 2026, putting its secretive disk-shaped cargo return capsule into low Earth orbit for the first time. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6 ...

Starfall uses compressed inert gas for small steering moves, such as orienting the heat shield in the correct direction for a parachute return into Earth’s atmosphere. The capsule, which has one pilot, one drogue and one main landing parachute, is designed for recovery by ship or a rigid-hulled inflatable boat.

SpaceX's Starfall mission aims to revolutionize cargo return from space with a hockey puck-shaped capsule and parachute-assisted landing.

SpaceX Starfall launches Tuesday from Cape Canaveral on its first demo flight — a disk-shaped reentry capsule that can return 1,000 kilograms from orbit, roughly 30 times more than current orbital manufacturing rivals,