SpaceMD signs contract for Starfall microgravity mission with SpaceX

Space Microgravity Development LLC (SpaceMD), a subsidiary of Redwire Corporation, announced on 6 August 2026 that it has signed a contract for a mission named Starfall. The mission will fly aboard a SpaceX spacecraft and is planned for launch in 2028.

SpaceMD, a wholly owned subsidiary of Redwire Corporation, announced the contract for Starfall on 6 August 2026. The mission will use a SpaceX spacecraft.

The first Starfall mission is planned to launch in 2028 with a payload of 32 PIL-BOXes. SpaceMD says the mission will be the largest dedicated commercial microgravity research mission flown to date.

PIL-BOX enables researchers to crystallize drug compounds in microgravity. Since their first flight in November 2023, 54 PIL-BOX systems have been flown to the International Space Station, and 12 more are being prepared.

SpaceMD has successfully crystallized 45 unique compounds to date. The company will develop a new variant of the PIL-BOX as part of the Starfall programme.

SpaceMD operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Redwire Corporation, which has approximately 1,400 employees.

For readers tracking the lunar industry, the Starfall mission signals that private-sector microgravity services are scaling up. Reliable, high-volume access to microgravity for drug crystallisation and other research can accelerate the development of technologies that will be essential for long-duration lunar habitation, such as advanced pharmaceuticals and closed-loop life support.

SpaceMD is targeting a 2028 launch for the first Starfall mission. Meanwhile, the company plans to develop a new variant of its PIL-BOX research platform.