SpaceX’s Starfall eyes fast global cargo via orbital delivery

SpaceX is testing Starfall, a small disc-shaped cargo reentry pod designed to deliver goods from low-Earth orbit. Launched on a Falcon 9, Starfall would orbit briefly before reentry and a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific, with the first demo planned for Tuesday within a 6:43 am EDT launch window. The FAA environmental assessment describes Starfall as enabling rapid, point-to-point deliveries and potential access to in-space manufacturing, possibly attracting military interest; Starfall weighs about 4,600 lb and can carry roughly 2,200 lb of payload and relies on its carrier for deorbiting.