SpaceX’s Next Big Business Could Be Building Stuff in Space
SpaceX is preparing to test its Starfall reentry vehicles for in-orbit manufacturing, a growing industry. The FAA has approved test flights for the uncrewed capsules designed for research and cargo delivery. Starfall aims to utilize microgravity for manufacturing, potentially expanding SpaceX's business portfolio by the end of the decade.
- ▪SpaceX's Starfall capsules are designed for in-orbit manufacturing and cargo delivery.
- ▪The capsules are 10.2 feet wide and can carry up to 2,205 pounds of payload.
- ▪The FAA has approved two reentries of the Starfall capsules into the Pacific Ocean.
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SpaceX is getting ready to test reentry vehicles that could be used for in-orbit manufacturing, tapping into a potentially lucrative industry that’s slowly gaining momentum. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved test flights of SpaceX’s Starfall, an uncrewed capsule designed to perform research and development in the microgravity environment, as well as provide point-to-point cargo delivery. SpaceX has shared little information about Starfall, but recent FAA documents reveal some new details about the ongoing project.
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