The W-3 mission has landed successfully at the Koonibba Test Range, again demonstrating Southern Launch’s capacity to support high-cadence orbital re-entries.
Southern Launch and Varda Space Industries successfully welcomed the W-3 mission back to Earth on May 14, 2025.
The re-entry comes just ten weeks after Southern Launch and Varda successfully achieved the W-2 mission, Australia’s first ever commercial spacecraft re-entry.
The Varda Space Industries W-3 capsule payload was an advanced navigation system called an Inertial Measurement Unit developed by the US Air Force and Innovative Scientific Solutions Incorporated. The payload was tested at re-entry speeds it was designed to withstand but had never encountered before.
The W-3 capsule touched down at 11:47 a.m. local time after spending 61 days in orbit. The Varda capsule re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at speeds exceeding Mach 25, providing a unique environment that offers researchers a chance to gather data for multiple applications.
The W-3 mission was part of a series permit for the W-Series missions. The series return authorisation for three missions was the first authorisation approved for a domestically returning spacecraft under the amended Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018.
The series permit secured by Southern Launch has enabled Varda to achieve a high cadence of re-entry missions, a cadence which is essential to support in-space manufacturing.
“The success of the W-3 mission showcases Southern Launch’s capabilities and ability to support high cadence missions,” said Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp. “As we expand our economy into low Earth orbit, re-entries will become as commonplace as launch, and the Koonibba Test Range is the number one place on Earth to conduct these missions.”
During the W-3 re-entry operations, the Southern Launch team worked to ensure air and sea space remained clear for public safety and employed advanced tracking telescopes to watch the capsule re-enter and land under parachute.
Recovery operations were led by Southern Launch with Varda payload experts. The recovered capsule will undergo processing with Varda’s payload partners at Southern Launch’s specialist facilities before it is returned to the Varda headquarters in Los Angeles for further analysis.
“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,” said Varda CEO Will Bruey. Soon, bringing products from space to consumers will be commonplace. We are working to make re-entry as common as launch — creating foundational infrastructure for a thriving orbital economy.”
The W-3 capsule was supported by a Rocket Lab-developed Pioneer satellite and lifted off aboard the Transporter-13 rideshare mission on March 14, 2025, with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
