Redwire's SpaceMD books dedicated SpaceX Starfall mission for 2028
SpaceMD will fly up to 32 PIL-BOX pharmaceutical experiment packages on a dedicated late-2028 Starfall mission.
what happened
Space Microgravity Development (SpaceMD), a Redwire subsidiary, signed an agreement with SpaceX for a dedicated Starfall mission scheduled for late 2028, per SpaceNews, Aviation Week, and Redwire's own release. The spacecraft will carry up to 32 of Redwire's Pharmaceutical In-Space Laboratory (PIL-BOX) experiment packages, which the company says would make it the largest dedicated commercial microgravity research mission flown to date. Redwire has flown 54 PIL-BOX systems to the ISS since 2023, with 12 more planned later this year. SpaceMD CEO John Vellinger said the mission combines Redwire's "flight-proven microgravity payloads" with "SpaceX's innovative transportation capabilities" to expand research cadence; Redwire Chairman and CEO Peter Cannito called it "a major leap forward in scaling our microgravity capabilities."
why it matters
Starfall gives Redwire a dedicated, higher-volume alternative to buying ISS cargo slots for its pharmaceutical microgravity work, letting SpaceMD scale beyond what station schedules allow. For other in-space manufacturing players, it is an early data point on Starfall's price and availability for dedicated commercial research missions rather than rideshare.
for who
In-space manufacturing and pharmaceutical R&D customers