Varda space capsule returns to Earth in 1st commercial landing in Australian Outback (photos)
Varda Space has successfully landed a reentry capsule in Australia, delivering critical data that could advance in-space manufacturing and hypersonic technologies.
California-based startup Varda’s Winnebago-2 (W-2) capsule launched along with 130 other payloads on Jan. 14 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, on the Transporter 12 rideshare mission. After six weeks in orbit, the capsule made a fiery plunge through Earth’s atmosphere, landing Feb. 28 at Koonibba Test Range in South Australia, which is operated by Southern Launch.
W-2 contained a spectrometer from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and a Varda enhanced pharmaceutical reactor for the company’s in-orbit manufacturing plans. The capsule used a heat shield with a Thermal Protection System (TPS) developed in collaboration with NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley.
The spectrometer, the Optical Sensing of Plasmas in the Reentry Environment (OSPREE) sensor, is expected to provide the first-ever in situ optical emission measurements of the reentry environment past Mach 15, according to Varda. The instrument is part of a longer-term partnership between Varda and AFRL for testing hypersonic systems and reentry technologies.
Related: Private Varda Space capsule returns to Earth with space-grown antiviral drug aboard
“We are ecstatic to have W-2 back on our home planet safely and are proud to support significant reentry research for our government partners as we continue building a thriving foundation for economic expansion to low Earth orbit,” Will Bruey, CEO of Varda Space Industries, said in a statement.
The 265-pound (120 kilograms) capsule was supported in orbit by a Pioneer satellite bus built by Rocket Lab, which provided power, communications, propulsion and other necessary capabilities.
The successful return to Earth of W-2 also marked a breakthrough for the Australian space sector, according to officials.
“This return highlights the opportunity for Australia to become a responsible launch and return hub for the global space community — capitalizing off the geographic advantages of our expansive continent,” said Enrico Palermo, head of the Australian Space Agency, in a statement.
The W-2 landing came a year after the company’s first mission, W-1, which landed in Utah in February 2024. The mission saw W-1 in orbit for eight months before delivering to Earth crystals of an antiviral drug that were grown in orbit.
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