SPACE VIEW PARK, TITUSVILLE, FL- I watched the launch of the secretive SpaceX Starfall reentry capsule demonstration mission early Tuesday morning, June 23, from Space View Park in Titusville, FL along the Indian River lagoon.

Starfall was the first flight of new SpaceX reentry technology – testing a new hockey puck shaped reentry capsule dish that can return up to 2500 lbs of science samples or in-space manufactured products to Earth via a parachute assisted splashdown off the coast of California.

Despite this mysterious mission being only recently approved with a launch license by the FAA  just days ago – a large crowd of spectators was nevertheless on hand at the rivers edge park, even as morning haze rolled in just after sunrise and before liftoff.

The thick haze sadly completely blocked a gorgeous view of the rising sun and made for a fuzzy view at liftoff moments later. Soaring away on an easterly trajectory

The SpaceX Starfall Demo mission launched on a veteran Falcon 9 rocket, Tuesday, June 23 at 6:53 a.m. ET (1053 UTC) to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Starfall was only recently approved by the FAA after conducting an official Environmental Assessment (EA).

SpaceX has released few details about Starfall – maintaining significant secrecy.  after launch they did not show any views of the upper stage, satellite or deployment during their live launch broadcast

It was not clear prelaunch if the mission would be orbital or suborbital or if there the cargo involved just 1 or more than one starfall reentry capsules

SpaceX is designing Starfall as a low cost cargo reentry to Earth test flight demo.

It launches 10 ft wide disk shaped cylinders for rapid transit to space and back. Usable for future in-space manufacturing & rapid science sample return.

The Starfall technology may eventually have uses beyond spaceflight, including rapid point-to-point transportation on Earth for emergency response, rescue operations, or military logistics.

The capsules can be launched either on a Falcon 9 rocket or a Starship-Super Heavy flight according to the EA

This was the 29th flight for the first stage booster B1078 supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, SES O3b mPOWER-B, USSF-124, BlueBird 1-5, Nusantara Lima (PSN N5), and 23 Starlink missions.

Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship ASOG), which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean some eight minutes later

I was interviewed prelaunch about Starfall by WFTV ABC News Orlando

.Jun 19/20/21/22 WFTV ABC News Orlando: Watch my commentary about SpaceX Starfall mission.  New test flight demo to return cargo and in space manufacturing samples and products inside cylindrical discs – for parachute assisted splashdowns

story/video: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/spacex-set-launch-starfall-demo-mission-cape-canaveral-space-force-station/32IGXF5NKNCC5B6MTENB2TDSWQ/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/spacex-set-launch-starfall-demo-010712864.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

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