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Full-scale Spark-1 capsule prototype on a cradle in a hangar
Image: Dispatch

Spark-1

by Dispatch · Return capsules

Also found in Low Earth orbit.

A reusable spacecraft that rides to orbit on a rideshare, stays up for 5 to 180 days, then reenters and parachutes cargo back. First flight is planned for mid-2027.

Visit dispatch.space

Why it matters

Companies hoping to make drugs or semiconductors in microgravity need a cheap, repeatable way to get products back to Earth.

How the technology works

Spark-1 launches on a standard rideshare rocket and operates in orbit for the length of the mission. It then reenters behind a heat shield and lands under parachute; Dispatch says payloads are back with customers six hours after landing.

Sources

  1. PayloadApr 1, 2026

Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction