Blastoff! SpaceX launches 'Starfall' return capsule and 31 more payloads, nails landing [9:20]

YouTube ^ | October 20, 2026 | VideoFromSpace

[SunkenCiv]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a "Starfall" return capsule and 31 other payloads on the company's Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission. The rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on October 20, 2026 at 7:04 a.m. EDT (1104 GMT). [19th complete flight for this booster] 

Blastoff! SpaceX launches 'Starfall' return capsule and 31 more payloads, nails landing | 9:20 
VideoFromSpace | 2.17M subscribers | 42,825 views | October 20, 2026

 

Full Story: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starfall-return-capsule-launch-bandwagon-5-rideshare-mission

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: elonmusk; jaxa; mars; nasa; phobos; spacex; starfall; starship

[SunkenCiv]

The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission launched atop an H3 rocket from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center today at 3:41 p.m. EDT (1941 GMT; 4:41 a.m. on Oct. 20 local Japan time). 

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's spacecraft will study Phobos and Deimos, deploy a small rover, and collect samples from Phobos to bring back to Earth in 2031. 

Credit: JAXA 

Blastoff! Japan launches MMX mission to Mars' moon Phobos | 8:23 
VideoFromSpace | 2.17M subscribers | 82,328 views

[SunkenCiv]

🚀🛰️ I can't believe it took me this long to set up an ez-post link for these.

Post a SpaceX topic in Bloggers

[janetjanet998]

They have come a long way

Video
Launch And Crash Of The First SpaceX Falcon 1 Rocket From Kwajelein 2006
https://rumble.com/v4qjept-launch-and-crash-of-the-first-spacex-falcon-1-rocket-from-kwajelein-2006.html

[Blennos]

SpaceX has come a long way since this flight.

[Jeff Chandler]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_Starfall

[Paul R.]

Actually, for a first launch, that was not too bad...

China just lost one considered fairly reliable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAB37_JobZU

[PGalt]

Amazing explorers BUMP1

[Paul R.]

I hope a star doesn’t fall on me (unless I’m really in bad shape.)

[rktman]

DOH!🚀🛬

[SunkenCiv]

For years I’ve used and refined something similar for the ping lists (Godsgravesglyphs, X-Planets, String Theory, Catastrophism) and just keep them in the browser bookmarks (same with this one). FReeper Swordmaker first pointed out how it works in a pvt msg here.

[rktman]

Awesome. Thanks!

[monkeyshine]

Amazing what Musk has done. We had 3 or 4 billionaires all working on space projects but the others were duds or lacked vision. Bezos was just a giant penis circus ride, didn’t really even take people to space. Branson gave up. Boeing blew their one shot by not knowing how to seal a door properly or something silly.

Musk is literally grabbing “space”. Akin to the manifest destiny. He is going to have tens of thousands of near earth orbit satellites and these are going to do everything from mass surveillance to mass communications to “free” energy that powers AI. His cars will use the satellites, his internet will use them, he will have a cell-phone company (or, perhaps find it more lucrative to just sell access to the existing carriers - or do both). He sold a lot of his compute to Anthropic because he isn’t using it and it’s already a generation behind what’s being deployed now and in the very near future (plus he is building a new chip factory). He is the ultimate land baron without any land. No country can even compete with his ambitions.

I wonder, or should I say I don’t know, what capabilities he has to repair these satellites. The Space Shuttle was designed for that purpose but maybe it is cheaper for Musk to just discard an old or malfunctioning satellite and replace it.

[RainMan]

Was up early, walked out my front door with Mrs. Rainman and watched it. Beautiful jellyfish.

[RainMan]

That is actually what Starfall is for. It collects satellites that need to be fixed and returns them safely.

[RainMan]

That is actually what Starfall is for. It collects satellites that need to be fixed and returns them safely.

[monkeyshine]

Ah, cool. I should’ve read more before commenting but I’m an old Freeper I’m exempt ;-)

[Oystir]

I saw it this morning, too. In the line of sight for a long time. The jelly 10 days or so ago was fantastic

[citizen]

Starfall is a sizeable container for deorbit cargo retrieval. It will have an amazing amount of customers soon, for many uses. I suspect there will be many versions customizable for specific needs.

The military will be a huge customer.