SpaceX's Starfall capsule delivers cargo for US Air Force in landmark 'point to point' space mission

According to Space.com, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory completed a point-to-point rocket cargo delivery test using SpaceX's Starfall capsule, confirming recovery of the cargo pods in the Pacific Ocean. The capsule launched on a Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Bandwagon-5 mission on October 20 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and the laboratory announced the successful splashdown on October 26.

The pods carried sensors for temperature, shock, and vibration, plus representative military equipment including medical supplies, food rations, a SATCOM tracker, batteries, a desalinator, survival gear, and a life raft prototype. Starfall is a disk-shaped vehicle about 10.2 feet wide with a carbon fiber heat shield, compressed gas thrusters, and a parachute system, capable of returning up to 2,200 pounds of cargo.

The Air Force will analyze the data for its Rocket Cargo initiative, which aims to eventually transport tens of tons per launch. SpaceX's Starship had been considered for future tests at Johnston Atoll, but plans were suspended in July 2025 over environmental concerns, and an alternative site remains unclear.

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SpaceX's Starfall capsule delivers cargo for US Air Force in landmark 'point to point' space mission — Space.com