This is the first customer of SpaceX's Starfall service
What's the story
SpaceX has signed a mission contract with Space Cargo for its new Starfall service. The deal marks the first known customer for this innovative venture, which focuses on returning payloads from Earth's orbit. The mission is scheduled for 2028 and will be a part of the first commercial flight of SpaceX's next-generation rocket, Starship.
Mission details
Mission will use Starfall capsule to bring back payloads
The 2028 mission will see SpaceX deploy its Starfall, a disk-shaped capsule designed for short trips through orbit and back to Earth.
Luxembourg-based Space Cargo plans to place its "BentoBox" system in the Starfall capsule.
This system would secure up to one ton of different types of payloads from Space Cargo's customers, ensuring their safe return to Earth for commercial use.
Design innovation
The design of the Starfall capsule
The Starfall capsule comes with an aluminum housing protected by a 10-foot-wide heatshield.
This design is based on SpaceX's experience in ferrying its larger Dragon capsules between Earth and space, mainly for NASA.
The heatshield is critical to the capsule's main function of surviving reentry and safely returning payloads back to Earth.
Market impact
Potential customers for the 1st mission
Nearly half of Space Cargo's potential customers for its first Starfall mission are from the life sciences and biotechnology sectors.
The emerging business of returning payloads from space is especially valuable for drugmakers who need microgravity for research and production.
This is because higher purities, which are impossible to achieve in Earth's gravity, can be attained in space.