Live coverage: SpaceX to launch Starfall reentry capsule, 31 customer payloads on Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission

Automatically curated summary from Spaceflight Now.

SpaceX is preparing to launch its Falcon 9 Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission from Cape Canaveral, carrying 32 payloads into orbit. The manifest features SpaceX’s uncrewed Starfall reentry capsule, a microgravity laboratory vehicle capable of supporting 1,000 kilograms of payload mass. Additional payloads include Varda Space Industries’ W-7 capsule, designed to investigate microgravity crystallization of the cancer drug Protac, and Portal Space Systems’ Starburst-1 demonstration spacecraft. Launch forecasters reported a 55 percent chance of acceptable weather, noting risks from gusty winds and booster recovery site conditions.

Context and limitations

SpaceX has not publicly disclosed what specific payloads are aboard this Starfall mission. Claims regarding microgravity improving drug solubility for cancer treatments remain subject to experimental verification.