SpaceX Bandwagon-5 Rideshare Launches Monday with Starfall Capsule and 31 Payloads

Key points

• Launch window opens at 6:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, October 19, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
• The mission carries 32 payloads, including SpaceX's Starfall reentry capsule, Varda Space Industries' W-7 capsule, and 31 customer satellites managed by Exolaunch and others.
• The Falcon 9 booster B1085 will attempt its 19th flight, targeting a landing on the droneship A Shortall of Gravitas approximately nine minutes after liftoff.
• Weather forecasters report a 55 percent chance of acceptable conditions, with gusty winds and coastal showers as potential concerns.
• The southeast trajectory may create a 'space jellyfish' exhaust plume visible in the Caribbean and southern Florida, but less prominently in North Carolina compared to last week's northeasterly launch.

Background

This launch follows the October 13 CRS-35 mission, which delivered the final Roll-Out Solar Arrays to the International Space Station and created a widely visible 'space jellyfish' phenomenon across the US East Coast. The Bandwagon-5 mission continues SpaceX's rideshare program, which has expanded to include reentry capsules like Starfall and Varda's W-Series for microgravity research.

How outlets are covering it

WRAL emphasizes the potential for a 'space jellyfish' visual display, noting that the southeast trajectory will limit visibility in North Carolina compared to last week's northeasterly flight. Spaceflight Now provides detailed technical information on the 32 payloads, including the Starfall and Varda reentry capsules, and notes the 55 percent weather probability. NASA's coverage focuses on the previous CRS-35 mission's scientific cargo, while SpaceX's official page confirms the launch schedule and site. The outlets differ in emphasis: WRAL highlights the visual spectacle, Spaceflight Now details the payload manifest and weather, and NASA focuses on the scientific mission that preceded this launch.

Why it matters

The Bandwagon-5 mission demonstrates the growing commercialization of spaceflight through rideshare programs, which allow multiple customers to share a single launch. The inclusion of reentry capsules like Starfall and Varda's W-7 highlights the expanding market for microgravity research and in-space manufacturing. The 'space jellyfish' phenomenon also underscores the public interest in visible space launches and their atmospheric effects.

What to watch

SpaceX will attempt to land the Falcon 9 booster B1085 on the droneship A Shortall of Gravitas. If successful, this will be the 167th landing on this vessel and the 672nd Falcon booster landing to date. The Starfall and Varda capsules will reenter the atmosphere after deploying their payloads, while the customer satellites will be deployed into orbit. NASA will continue to monitor the International Space Station's operations following the delivery of the final solar arrays.