Artwork painted on Country by Wirangu Elder and Koonibba artist Aunty Christine Tschuna has flown into space aboard Varda Space Industries’ W-5 capsule and returned to the land where it was created.
The artwork, titled “Capsule returning to our Munda (land)”, launched on the SpaceX Transporter-15 mission from California on November 28, 2025. It spent 63 days in orbit before returning to Earth and landing at Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range in South Australia as part of the W-5 mission.
The W-5 mission was the third space capsule to land at the Koonibba Test Range in 12 months. The W-Series missions are intended to support research and manufacturing in microgravity and return payloads to Earth.
The Koonibba Test Range is operated by Southern Launch in partnership with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation. The mission included Indigenous artwork as part of the capsule’s payload.
The piece is now on display in the Koonibba General Store.
Aunty Christine Tschuna was born in 1949 at the Koonibba Aboriginal Mission. She is a self-taught artist whose work uses colour, pattern, symbols and line and dot techniques, with themes that include connections to Country and the sky.
QUOTE ATTRIBUTABLE TO AUNTY CHRISTINE TSCHUNA, ARTIST AND WIRANGU ELDER
“This painting shows the capsule travelling through space and coming home to our Munda, our land. Seeing our story go to space and come back is something I never imagined. It makes me proud for our community and future generations.”
QUOTE ATTRIBUTABLE TO LLOYD DAMP, CEO, SOUTHERN LAUNCH
“This is a global first and a moment of pride for everyone involved. To see Indigenous artwork travel to space and return to Country is symbolic — it speaks to partnership and the way we do space here in Australia. The W-5 mission shows that space capability and the world’s oldest living cultures can go forward together.”
QUOTE ATTRIBUTABLE TO COREY MCLENNAN, CEO, KOONIBBA COMMUNITY ABORIGINAL CORPORATION
“Our community is proud to see Aunty Christine’s artwork travel to space and return to Country. It shows what’s possible when industry and community work together with respect, and we’re proud to be part of Australia’s growing space story alongside Southern Launch and Varda.”
QUOTE ATTRIBUTABLE TO JORDAN CROOM, VICE PRESIDENT OF PAYLOADS AT VARDA SPACE INDUSTRIES
“We were proud to include Aunty Christine Tschuna’s artwork on the W-5 mission. It’s been a privilege to collaborate with the Koonibba Community on missions that bring together advanced space technology and one of the world’s oldest living cultures.”
