Australia’s reputation as a reliable spaceflight hub is continuing to grow, with another capsule returning to regional South Australia
Weeks after the nation welcomed its first-ever commercial spacecraft reentry, a second capsule has now safely landed on Australian soil.
Varda Space Industries successfully returned its Winnebago-3 (W-3) capsule to Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range in South Australia on Wednesday.
The W-3 return mission is part of the authorisation granted by the Australian Government under the amended Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018.
Back-to-back successful reentries
W-3 was a joint mission between American companies Varda Space Industries and Rocket Lab, and Southern Launch, an Australian launch and range service provider.
The reentry builds on the success of the W-2 mission, which landed in the Koonibba Test Range in February earlier this year.
The back-to-back successful returns demonstrates how Australia has created an environment for the national and global space sectors to grow.
"These returns highlight the opportunity for Australia to become a responsible launch and return hub for the global space community – capitalising off the geographic advantages of our expansive continent."
~ Enrico Palermo,
Head of the Australian Space Agency
"The success of the W-3 mission showcases Southern Launch’s capabilities and ability to support high cadence missions. As we expand our economy into low Earth orbit, reentries will become as commonplace as launch."
~ Lloyd Damp,
CEO, Southern Launch
World-first historic space return
Milestone moment for the nation's space sector as capsule re-enters Earth and lands in Australia.
A thriving foundation for economic and scientific expansions
After spending 61 days in orbit, W-3, reentered the Earth's atmosphere at speeds exceeding Mach 25. That is 25 times the speed of sound and a unique environment for researchers to gather data for multiple applications.
The payloads on the W-3 mission included an advanced navigation system called an Inertial Measurement Unit developed by the US Air Force and Innovative Scientific Solutions Incorporated. This payload was tested at reentry speeds it was designed to withstand but has never encountered before.
After two successful missions, and a third upcoming, a thriving low Earth orbit economy from Australia appears to be within reach.
“Varda is increasing the frequency of bringing capsules back to Earth, and our third successful mission proves that routine operations off Earth is within reach. Soon, bringing products from space to consumers will be commonplace.
We are working to make reentry as common as launch — creating foundational infrastructure for a thriving orbital economy,” said Will Bruey, CEO, Varda Space Industries.
Increasing national capability, responsibly
Learn more about Australia's dynamic and diverse space sector.
Main image caption: Varda's Winnebago-3 capsule after landing in Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range in South Australia on Wednesday. | Credit: Southern Launch.