SpaceX (SPCX.US) conducts the "Starfall" return capsule's first flight demonstration, aiming at space manufacturing in orbit.

SpaceX conducted a flight demonstration mission on June 23rd (Tuesday) local time, sending a reusable capsule into space and completing the recovery work. The mission is part of the "Starfall" program, which is expected to help Elon Musk's company enter the emerging field of space-based manufacturing. According to the project plan, SpaceX will use its main rocket Falcon 9 to send various products, such as medicines, into space using a small unmanned capsule. In the long run, SpaceX plans to use a giant Starship launch system to carry out related tasks for this project. The "Starfall" capsule will stay in orbit for a period of time, then re-enter the atmosphere and eventually return to Earth for recovery. According to reports, SpaceX launched the first of this series of capsules from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 6:55 a.m. local time. This cylindrical space capsule is designed to carry a payload of up to 2200 pounds (1000 kilograms), and is expected to land near the US West Coast with the help of parachutes. Through the "Starfall program," various companies can take advantage of the unique environmental conditions of space, especially microgravity and high radiation environments, to create new production scenarios for drugs, semiconductors, food, and beauty products. If the demonstration flight on Tuesday is completed as planned, SpaceX will conduct a second flight approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. After two successful demonstration missions, SpaceX will officially launch the Starfall commercial service, with initial customers likely being pharmaceutical and materials research companies, followed by expansion into defense and various industrial manufacturing sectors. As of the time of writing, SpaceX's stock price rose 1.59% in pre-market trading, reaching $157.053. After three consecutive trading days of decline, SpaceX's market value has evaporated by over $600 billion. SpaceX has previously stated that it will issue investment-grade bonds, with the first issuance expected to raise at least $20 billion, marking the beginning of large-scale financing for its artificial intelligence vision.