AFRL, SpaceX launch Starfall with raft and survival kit
The US Air Force Research Laboratory teamed up with SpaceX to pull off a pretty cool test: on October 20, they launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, sent the Starfall capsule into orbit, and the capsule carried an inflatable life raft and survival kit.
This shows they can deliver emergency supplies fast, even to really remote places.
Rocket Cargo test used rescue kit
The kit is packed with essentials like emergency beacons, desalination gear, and food, similar to what the Coast Guard uses for rescues.
This test is part of the Rocket Cargo program, which hopes to make delivering big payloads by rocket as routine as sending tens of tons of payload per launch.
Brigadier General Douglas P. Wickert, Department of the Air Force Technology Executive Officer and AFRL commander, said, "Any day you launch a rocket is a good day, but today was more than just another big rocket launch."
He added, "Today's launch was another demonstration of how AFRL is partnering with industry to burn down risk, collect hard data, and deliver war-winning technologies for the operational force."