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SpaceX gets FAA approval to test Starfall capsules, bring large payloads back safely
Posted on 6/2/26 at 10:40 am
Posted on 6/2/26 at 10:40 am
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SPACEX JUST GOT FAA APPROVAL TO TEST ITS NEW “STARFALL” CAPSULES.
These are not regular reentry vehicles.
SpaceX’s new circular Starfall capsules are designed to bring up to 1,000 kg of payload back from orbit safely, repeatedly, and at scale.
They can launch on either Falcon 9 or Starship, perform in-space manufacturing, then reenter and splash down in the Pacific for rapid recovery.
Why this matters:
• Enables true commercial in-space manufacturing (microgravity + vacuum) that can be returned to Earth
• Could become a “proliferated successor” to the ISS for self-sustaining space industry
• Opens the door to rapid point-to-point cargo delivery from orbit to anywhere on Earth
• Directly competes with companies like Varda that have been flying similar missions on SpaceX rockets
The deeper implication is massive:
We are moving from “occasional experiments in space” to routine manufacturing and logistics in orbit.
If Starfall works at scale, companies could build factories in space, produce high-value materials that can’t be made on Earth, and ship them back down regularly all without needing a full space station.
This is one of the clearest steps yet toward a real, self-sustaining commercial space economy.
What do you think will in-space manufacturing finally become a serious industry, or is this still too early?
Follow for more frontier space and future technology.
5
Posted on 6/2/26 at 10:50 am to Fun Bunch
quote:Honestly curious here, what high-value materials could only be made in space?
If Starfall works at scale, companies could build factories in space, produce high-value materials that can’t be made on Earth, and ship them back down regularly all without needing a full space station.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 10:52 am to Fun Bunch
quote:meanwhile dems and progressive are burning cities down, beating people up for not agreeing there are 127 different genders, letting boys hurt girls in sports and crying racism over the most ridiculous slight.
If Starfall works at scale, companies could build factories in space, produce high-value materials that can’t be made on Earth, and ship them back down regularly all without needing a full space station.
WE ARE NOT THE SAME
Posted on 6/2/26 at 10:56 am to Fun Bunch
That is really interesting. Thanks.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 11:00 am to Scruffy
Elon has talked about it a lot, as has a lot of other people.
Whatever you think of Musk, and he does have a large tendency to say grandiose things will happen on a much faster scale than possible...
But there are lot of people that think Space manufacturing, if we can get to a point where its done at enough scale, will be an inflection point in human history as to technological evolution
Whatever you think of Musk, and he does have a large tendency to say grandiose things will happen on a much faster scale than possible...
But there are lot of people that think Space manufacturing, if we can get to a point where its done at enough scale, will be an inflection point in human history as to technological evolution
Posted on 6/2/26 at 11:05 am to Scruffy
Honestly, probably nothing.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 11:07 am to Fun Bunch
Space is fake. An Amazon rocket blew up the other day when it touched the sky ceiling
Posted on 6/2/26 at 11:09 am to CAD703X
quote:
meanwhile dems and progressive are burning cities down, beating people up for not agreeing there are 127 different genders, letting boys hurt girls in sports and crying racism over the most ridiculous slight. WE ARE NOT THE SAME
Elon musk is a libtard he drives an electric car
Posted on 6/2/26 at 11:10 am to Fun Bunch
I'm still waiting on that $5,000 check that Musk promised me from the DOGE cuts.
Posted on 6/2/26 at 11:11 am to UFFan
quote:
Honestly, probably nothing.
Very false
There are a lot of things we know for a fact would greatly benefit from microgravity and vacuum, and the power/energy would be substantially less to produce. And quite a lot of things in theory that would
We also would almost certainly discover newer things to produce once its started in scale
Posted on 6/2/26 at 11:19 am to Fun Bunch
quote:
Very false
There are a lot of things we know for a fact would greatly benefit from microgravity and vacuum, and the power/energy would be substantially less to produce. And quite a lot of things in theory that would
We also would almost certainly discover newer things to produce once its started in scale
Besides the microgravity and vacuum, a factory which stayed on the dark side would be in a temp around -157 °C (-250 °F) which has huge benefits.
quote:
Potential benefits of cold temperatures in space
Improved material properties: In some cases, low temperatures can enhance the performance of certain materials, such as superconductors, which require cryogenic conditions to function efficiently m.
Reduced thermal stress: The vacuum and cold environment can minimize some forms of thermal cycling damage, which is a concern for long-duration operations
Natural vacuum and low contamination: Space’s near-perfect vacuum and lack of atmospheric interference can be beneficial for processes like crystal growth, semiconductor fabrication, and pharmaceutical production, where purity and uniformity are critical
Energy efficiency for cooling-sensitive processes: For manufacturing steps that require cryogenic fluids (e.g., liquid hydrogen, methane, oxygen) or ultra-cold environments, the ambient cold can reduce the energy needed to maintain those conditions
This post was edited on 6/2/26 at 11:21 am
Posted on 6/2/26 at 11:24 am to Fun Bunch
quote:
Opens the door to rapid point-to-point cargo delivery from orbit to anywhere on Earth
If musk can get my wife’s amazon crap into space to my house before the north Houston UPS distribution, I’ll only be mildly impressed
Posted on 6/2/26 at 11:25 am to Fun Bunch
Would also make dropping an invasion force via drop pods viable.
One step closer to the Imperium.
One step closer to the Imperium.
This post was edited on 6/2/26 at 11:27 am
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