South Australia’s position as a leading global hub for orbital re-entry operations has been cemented by a landmark commercial deal signed between Southern Launch and US-based microgravity-enabled life sciences company, Varda Space Industries.
At the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney on Tuesday 30 September, the companies announced plans for 20 spacecraft returns at the Southern Launch Koonibba Test Range by 2028, building on the success of two missions earlier this year.
The 20 new missions will see Varda’s in-space manufacturing capsules return to Earth in South Australia with payloads that have made novel pharmaceuticals in orbit or conducted experiments in microgravity.
The companies made history on 28 February when a Varda Space capsule successfully landed at Koonibba Test Range on South Australia’s west coast. The event marked the first-ever successful re-entry of a commercial spacecraft to a commercial site anywhere in the world.
The landmark event was followed up with a second successful capsule landing at Koonibba Test Range on 14 May. Onboard was research developed in collaboration with the US Air Force and Innovative Scientific Solutions Incorporated.
Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp said the agreement highlighted South Australia was ready to meet the growing demand in the global in-space manufacturing economy.
“This contract is a vote of confidence in our team and our facilities,” Mr Damp said.
“With each successful mission, we’re proving that the Koonibba Test Range is the best place on Earth to bring space technology home.
“Routine re-entries are no longer a dream; they are happening now, and we are proud to lead the way alongside Varda.”
Representatives from Southern Launch and US-based Varda Space Industries at IAC Sydney 2025 ahead of announcing 20 spacecraft returns to the Koonibba Test Range.
Varda CEO Will Bruey welcomed the agreement.
“Products improved through production off Earth are within reach,” said Mr Bruey.
“Our partnership with Southern Launch is the lynchpin to realising this new economy, and Varda’s increasing cadence is only possible due to the exceptional quality of work consistently delivered by the Southern Launch team. “
With this new contract we are thrilled to take another step towards the future.”
Another two capsules belonging to Varda Space’s mission series dubbed the ‘Winnebago’ or W-series are expected to land at the Koonibba Test Range later this year.
In June, the W-4 mission launched aboard the SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California with a solution-based crystallisation module as the internal payload.
The agreement signed at IAC will cement South Australia’s role as the leader in commercial space launch and returns, and secure landing space for Varda’s future missions, which are planned to increase to a near-monthly cadence by the end of 2028.
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Top photo (L–R): Southern Launch Chairman Jeremy Hallett, Varda Space Industries CRO Eric Lasker, Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp, and Australian Space Agency Head Enrico Palermo at IAC Sydney for their landmark announcement.
