Tue Apr 22 05:10:00 UTC 2025: ## European Company Achieves First Re-entry Mission with SpaceX
**Cape Canaveral, FL –** Atmos Space Cargo, a German company, successfully launched its Phoenix 1 re-entry capsule aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on April 21st. This marks a significant milestone as the first-ever re-entry mission conducted by a European company. Phoenix 1, part of SpaceX’s Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission, is designed to test the capsule’s inflatable heat shield and other key technologies crucial for safely returning valuable cargo from space to Earth.
The capsule is expected to splash down in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 1,200 miles off the coast of Brazil after completing a single orbit. Atmos plans to utilize this technology to offer return-to-Earth services for various clients, supporting advancements in microgravity research, in-orbit manufacturing, defense applications, and life sciences.
Bandwagon-3 carried other payloads, including satellites for South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development and Tomorrow Companies Inc. The launch continues SpaceX’s successful rideshare program, following previous missions under the Bandwagon and Transporter programs. This launch highlights the growing commercialization of space and the increasing capabilities of private companies in facilitating space-based research and applications.
First Piper 