# Air Force reports successful space cargo capsule test in Pacific

_Published Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 8:06 AM EST · Science, Infrastructure · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![a Falcon 9 rocket launching the Starfall capsule — Primary](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5ivDcdrdYSH4ww4FKkXfwW-1920-80.png)

The Air Force Research Lab says it successfully tested delivery of military supplies from space, with a SpaceX Starfall capsule splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. The capsule launched aboard a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission.

Its cargo included meals, bottled water, spare batteries and a tracker enabled for satellite communications. The capsule uses a carbon fiber heat shield during reentry, compressed gas thrusters to control its orientation and parachutes to slow its landing.

Starfall has a capacity of up to 2,200 pounds. The Air Force's reported ambition to deliver tens of tons would require larger SpaceX Starship rockets, which remain in development.

## Sources

- [Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/space/usaf-successfully-tests-dropping-spacex-starfall-cargo-drop-pods-from-space-2-200-pound-capsule-drops-military-supplies-in-the-pacific-to-test-starcraft-like-supply-drops)

---
Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/rqR_HPj4_fvxh4CPrAZhjP
Published: 2026-11-01T13:06:15.783Z
Story chronology: 2026-11-01T11:30:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-11-01T15:36:09.770Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)