SpaceX Launches Starfall Demo Mission To Test New Re-Entry Vehicle

LOS ANGELES, June 24 (NNN-Xinhua) -- United States (US) space company SpaceX launched its Starfall Demo mission on Tuesday, marking the debut of a new uncrewed reentry vehicle aimed at enabling future commercial in-space manufacturing and rapid cargo delivery through space, reported Xinhua.

The mission lifted off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 6.53 am US Eastern Time (1053 GMT).

SpaceX confirmed the deployment of Starfall into low-Earth orbit.

The mission includes a demonstration of a new vehicle that will enable affordable, routine access to the microgravity environment for scientific research and in-space manufacturing, according to SpaceX.

After demonstrating controlled flight, the spacecraft is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

According to filings with the US Federal Aviation Administration, the mission aims to enable point-to-point delivery of critical cargo through space on rapid timelines.

It also seeks to create a self-sustaining commercial in-space manufacturing market by offering access to microgravity and vacuum, orbital loitering, and safe return from orbit as services at scale.

--NNN-XINHUA