“A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off on Tuesday [6/23/26] to test a new reentry vehicle designed to deliver cargo anywhere in the world from low-Earth orbit.

The company developed the new saucer-shaped reentry pod, called Starfall, under a veil of secrecy. Its purpose is to support the ‘transport and delivery of goods through space,’ according to an environmental assessment published by the Federal Aviation Administration last month…

Most of what we know about Starfall comes from the FAA’s environmental assessment. In that document, the FAA writes that Starfall will ‘enable point-to-point delivery of critical cargo through space on rapid timelines’ and provide access to space for commercial in-space manufacturing, a nascent market that, so far, is largely geared toward pharmaceuticals. Starfall could bring those materials back to Earth for commercial use. A private company named Varda Space Industries is already working in this area.”

From Ars Technica.