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USAF successfully tests dropping SpaceX Starfall cargo drop pods from space

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USAF successfully tests dropping SpaceX Starfall cargo drop pods from space

The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), the research and development arm of the US Air Force, has successfully tested Rocket Cargo capabilities, which would allow military units to resupply via cargo pods dropped from space. According to the AFRL’s X post, the cargo pods, which were onboard a SpaceX Starfall capsule, launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as part of the Bandwagon-5 “rideshare” mission carried by a Falcon 9 rocket. The capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean for this test, with the unit containing mission equipment like MREs, bottled water, a SATCOM-enabled tracker, spare batteries, and other equipment. The AFRL also fit-checked a UNI-PAC III life raft to see if it would fit inside the Starfall capsule for a potential test in the future.

The mission is a test of Rocket Cargo’s point-to-point delivery (P2D) capabilities, which should allow forces to resupply virtually anywhere in the world without needing to risk other assets like aircraft and aircrews, especially in areas where there is active combat.

With support from @SpaceX, the AFRL agile cargo pods were recovered after splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Each pod contained representative mission equipment to study the effects of temperature, shock, and vibration of the cargo environments during launch and reentry. #Readiness https://t.co/yWoND13ur4October 26, 2026

“This was a critical achievement to demonstrate the potential of Rocket Cargo delivery for point-to-point rapid global mobility for the Future Force," AFRL Technology Transition Office director Adam Remaly said in a statement.



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