SpaceX's first Starfall customer is European mission integrator Space Cargo

Washington, September 15: SpaceX's new Starfall business, which involves returning products and payloads from Earth's orbit, has secured its first customer in the form of Space Cargo, a mission integrator based in Luxembourg. The deal was disclosed by SpaceX's Chief Executive Nicolas Gaume to Reuters. Space Cargo plans to launch a capsule system called BentoBox inside the Starfall capsule, which will be used to safely transport and return payloads from Earth for commercial use.

The mission, involving the transport of up to 1 ton of payloads, is scheduled for SpaceX's first commercial flight of Starship in 2028. Starship is SpaceX's next-generation rocket, and the Starfall program capitalizes on the company's expertise in ferrying larger Dragon capsules between Earth and space for NASA. The heatshield of Starfall, a crucial component, is a product of SpaceX's experience in this area.

The Starfall program faces competition from other startups, such as Varda Space, and has the potential to benefit various industries, including life sciences and biotechnology.