The first of three capsules from American microgravity company Varda Space Industries to return to Earth over the coming month has successfully touched down at the Koonibba Test Range, near Ceduna in South Australia’s far west.
Two more capsules carrying payloads for commercial and United States government partners are expected to land in the coming weeks, further cementing Koonibba Test Range’s position as a leading destination for commercial spacecraft re-entry and recovery operations.
Southern Launch facilitated the re-entry of Varda’s W-8 capsule, at 12.05am on Friday 6 November, overseeing regulatory approvals, range safety, airspace management, tracking and recovery operations.
The return of three spacecraft within a matter of weeks marks a significant milestone for the commercial space industry, helping pave the way for orbital re-entries to become as routine as space launches.
Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp said facilitating the return of three capsules from three different orbits within one month is a complex operation.
“It takes an incredibly capable team to coordinate each mission safely and make sure everything comes together when it needs to,” Mr Damp said.
“That is the capability we have built at Southern Launch and it is what allows us to support an increasing cadence of re-entries at the Koonibba Test Range.”
This increasing frequency of missions, together with growing interest from customers around the world, further reinforces South Australia’s position as a destination for commercial space activity and innovation.
Minister for Defence and Space Industries Chris Picton said the company is delivering a capability that is unique on the global stage.
“The successful return of Varda’s W-8 capsule is another important milestone for South Australia’s growing space sector and further demonstrates our state’s leadership in orbital re-entry operations,” Mr Picton said.
The capsule re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds exceeding Mach 25 – which is more than 25 times the speed of sound – and landed safely on South Australian soil under parachute.
Recovery operations were led by Southern Launch in close consultation with Varda’s payload specialists and cultural monitors appointed by the Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation and the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation.
The W-8 capsule carried payloads focused on next-generation thermal protection systems, including Canopy Aerospace & Defense’s Smart TPS-F and materials supported by the US Air Force Research Laboratory’s Prometheus program.
The data gathered during the high-speed return will support the development of future re-entry vehicles and inform national security and space research programs.
The capsule, alongside W-9, was launched in early October on the SpaceX Transporter-18 mission, with the W-9 due to return in the coming weeks.
A third capsule, W-7, which is due to land at Koonibba early next month, launched on a different SpaceX rideshare mission and will approach re-entry from an inclined orbit.
California-based Varda Space Industries has continued to select the Koonibba Test Range for its missions since the landmark W-2 mission in February last year. A further 20 re-entries are contracted through to 2028, underscoring South Australia’s growing role in the future of commercial space operations.
Photo credit: Will Godward
