Orbiting SpaceX capsule drops emergency liferaft from space

The US Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceX have successfully tested delivering emergency survival gear directly from Earth orbit using a Falcon 9 rocket and a disk-shaped Starfall reentry capsule. Launched into orbit from Cape Canaveral, the 3.1-meter atmospheric reentry vessel carried a 1-tonne payload equipped with heat shielding, cold-gas steering thrusters, and a recovery parachute. Upon reentry, it deployed a UNI-PAC III inflatable liferaft complete with emergency beacons, desalination units, radios, and rations, demonstrating point-to-point delivery of critical aid anywhere on Earth in under 90 minutes.

New Atlas · Oct 25, 2026