Exclusive: Space Cargo Unlimited Booked a Third of Its Starfall Capacity

Space Cargo Unlimited has secured a dedicated mission on SpaceX’s new Starfall reentry vehicle, with CEO Nicolas Gaume confirming that one-third of the vehicle’s 1,000-kg capacity has already been sold. The announcement highlights the rapid commercial uptake of next-generation orbital infrastructure as the International Space Station approaches retirement.

What Happened

The Luxembourg-based company announced this week that it has booked space on the Starfall vehicle, which is expected to launch on a Starship rocket in 2028. Gaume told Payload that the firm expects to have customers locked in for half of the vehicle’s capacity by the end of the year. The booking is part of a broader strategy to secure diverse reentry options; Space Cargo has also secured flights on ATMOS Space Cargo’s Phoenix, Dassault’s VORTEX, ElevationSpace’s ELS-R, and ESA’s Space Rider. Additionally, the company is developing its own reentry vehicle, REV1, in partnership with Thales Alenia Space.

Why It Matters

The move underscores a shifting dynamic in the orbital manufacturing market. With the ISS retiring, pharmaceutical companies and researchers are increasingly recognizing the benefits of microgravity for drug discovery. Gaume stated that Starfall’s capacity allows Space Cargo to fly as many as 10 times more payloads than other vehicles, offering significantly more power and better economics. This volume is critical for the company’s 'BentoBox' payload system, a standardized, autonomous factory designed to allow terrestrial lab equipment to operate in orbit without requiring researchers to master orbital operations. Gaume described the platform’s volume and power as a 'paradigm shift,' emphasizing a focus on the end-users of their customers.

The Bottom Line

Space Cargo Unlimited is aggressively positioning itself as a primary broker for in-space manufacturing as legacy platforms retire. By securing a significant portion of Starfall’s capacity and diversifying across multiple reentry vehicles, the company aims to 'despaceify space,' making orbital research accessible to standard terrestrial laboratories.