SpaceX aims to use rockets to quickly transport cargo across the Earth and into orbit – moves that would expand the global cargo system

SpaceX aims to use rockets like its Falcon 9 to bring cargo to and from orbit, as well as between different points on Earth. AP Photo/John Raoux

You might think about rockets as powerful vehicles that blast astronaut crews and robotic missions off into space. But what if they could be used to send cargo from one side of the Earth to the other, in a fraction of the time it would take a plane? The company SpaceX recently announced a project that aims to use its rockets to do just that.

SpaceX launched its Starfall demo mission on June 23, 2026. According to a document from the Federal Aviation Administration, Starfall has two main purposes: to use rockets to quickly deliver cargo around the world, and to deliver cargo to and from space. The latter could allow for in-space manufacturing markets that take advantage of microgravity and the vacuum of space.