Falcon-9R B1078.29 | Starfall Demo | 23.06.2026

[Orionid]

Starfall Demo
Numer misji   #684   
Data   23 czerwca 2026, 12:53:00 czasu polskiego
Okno startowe   60 minut
Miejsce startu   CCSFS SLC-40 
Miejsce lądowania   ASOG
Rakieta   Falcon 9 Block 5
Booster   1078.29
Ładunek   Starfall
Masa ładunku   ok. 3100 kg
Docelowa orbita   LEO
Klient   SpaceX

Starfall to rozwijany przez SpaceX pojazd orbitalny, który zaprojektowany jest tak, aby autonomicznie dostarczać klienckie eksperymenty i ładunki z powrotem na Ziemię, w szczególności pod kątem produkcji w kosmosie. Jest to cylindryczna kapsuła o wysokości ok. 75 cm, średnicy ok. 3,1 metra i masie ok. 2100 kg. Maksymalna masa ładunku to 1000 kg.

Podczas tego lotu na orbitę trafi pierwszy testowy pojazd Starfall, który ma zademonstrować możliwości ponownego wejścia w atmosferę, wodowania oraz odzyskania kapsuły po locie.

Podejrzewa się, że na szczycie rakiety znajdą się także inne ładunki dodatkowe, jednak żadne szczegóły nie są znane.

Źródła: SpaceX, Next Spaceflight, Gunter's Space Page
https://spacex.com.pl/misja/starfall-demo

On Tuesday, June 23 at 6:53 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched the Starfall Demo mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

This was the 29th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, SES O3b mPOWER-B, USSF-124, BlueBird 1-5, Nusantara Lima (PSN N5), and 23 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

https://www.spacex.com/launches/starfalldemo

SpaceX Project Starfall Demonstration Mission


SpaceX Starfall Demo launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing

[Orionid]

SpaceX @SpaceX 12:44 PM · Jun 23, 2026
Today’s mission includes a demo of a new vehicle that will enable affordable, routine access to the microgravity environment for scientific research and in-space manufacturing. After demonstrating controlled flight, the spacecraft will splash down in the Pacific Ocean

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/2069370979084603672

[Orionid]

Booster Tracker @BoosterTracker 12:38 PM · Jun 23, 2026
Starfall Demo will mark SpaceX's 655th Falcon 9 launch and 519th Falcon booster landing success on a drone ship.
Learn more: https://boostertracker.com/launch/4729/

https://twitter.com/BoosterTracker/status/2069369377527644606

SpaceX @SpaceX 4:36 PM · Jun 23, 2026
Falcon 9 launches the Starfall Demo mission from Florida

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/2069429410965393449

SpaceX @SpaceX 4:01 PM · Jun 23, 2026
Deployment of Starfall confirmed

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/2069420637383168301

[Orionid]

Start nastąpił o 10:53 UTC.

Nie ma informacji oficjalnych o powrocie i odzyskaniu ładunku.

Jonathan McDowell @planet4589 4:32 PM · Jun 23, 2026
Starfall reentry over the Pacific expected at about 1440 UTC (in 10 min)

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/2069428271960244667

With Starfall, SpaceX eyes an edge in global cargo delivery from orbit
Stephen Clark – June 23 2026 07:25

The purpose of Starfall is to support the “transport and delivery of goods through space.”

(...) The Starfall vehicle is cylindrical in shape, with a diameter of 10.2 feet (3.1 meters) and a height of 2.5 feet (0.75 meters). Starfall weighs approximately 4,600 pounds (2.1 metric tons) with a capacity for about 2,200 pounds (1 metric ton) of payload, for a total weight of 6,800 pounds (3.1 metric tons). Designed exclusively for cargo, Starfall is smaller than SpaceX’s human-rated Crew Dragon spacecraft, which ferries astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

The first Starfall Demo mission will spend a few hours in low-Earth orbit, but the vehicle could also fly on shorter suborbital trajectories after launching on either Falcon 9 or the much larger Starship rocket. This version of Starfall is not capable of de-orbiting itself but instead relies upon its launch vehicle to guide it back into the atmosphere. After separating from its rocket carrier, the disc-shaped vehicle uses compressed nitrogen gas to orient its heat shield for reentry. (...)
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/06/with-starfall-spacex-eyes-an-edge-in-global-cargo-delivery-from-orbit/
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/06/starfall-demo/

[Orionid]

Statki ruszyły w kierunku spodziewanego wodowania Starfall.

JohnCn @JConcilus 7:13 PM · Jun 23, 2026
The partner to Shannon n the recovery is the contract vessel Merlin. Both left Long Beach on Saturday and began circling the Starfall splashdown area prior to launch.

https://x.com/JConcilus/status/2069468900987916638

[Orionid]

JohnCn @JConcilus 5:39 PM · Jun 23, 2026
The Starfall mission reentry has already taken place, and Shannon seems to be slowly maneuvering near….something. Mission likely completed one way or the other. 🫡🛸👍👎

https://x.com/JConcilus/status/2069445304915825130

2) Statki wracają już do  Long Beach, CA

JohnCn @JConcilus 10:43 PM · Jun 23, 2026
Both Shannon and Merlin are now on their way back to (presumably) Long Beach, CA with whatever “fell” with Starfall. Averaging between 9 and 10 knots, so should arrive in Long Beach - if that is the destination - on or around June 26. 🛸💫⛴️

https://x.com/JConcilus/status/2069521736123768993