SpaceX sent a demonstration capsule for its secretive Starfall system into low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch marks an early test of technology intended to return cargo manufactured in space.
The capsule lifted off at around 6:50 a.m. local time aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The booster stage landed on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean after separation.
Starfall is designed to carry up to one tonne of payload in a compact, windowless vehicle roughly three metres wide. The capsule consists of a payload section and a carbon-fibre heat shield that uses compressed gas for steering during re-entry.
A Federal Aviation Administration assessment published in May described the project as enabling the transport and delivery of goods through space. SpaceX has said the system will support scientific research and in-space manufacturing.
No further details have been released about the capsule’s time in orbit or its planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean 1,300 kilometres off the California coast.
