SpaceNews: Varda Space capsule breaks new ground in hypersonic testing with AFRL payload VIDEO

15 January 2025 16:33

A significant milestone in military hypersonic vehicle testing was achieved with the launch of a Varda Space capsule aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 rideshare mission on January 14.

The payload, carrying an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) spectrometer, marks a new era of commercial space collaboration in advancing defence capabilities, Caliber.Az reports via SpaceNews.

Designated as W-2, the mission is the second conducted by California-based Varda Space Industries and the first under a multi-year partnership with the AFRL. The capsule carries the Optical Sensing of Plasmas in the Reentry Environment (OSPREE) payload, which will capture atmospheric data during the capsule's high-speed descent.

The mission aims to gather crucial information on hypersonic conditions, supporting the refinement of thermal protection systems, sensor designs, and aerodynamics for future military applications.

Traditionally, the development of hypersonic vehicles requires expensive flight tests, often exceeding $100 million per launch. However, Varda's innovative approach provides a more cost-effective alternative by utilizing its factory-in-orbit spacecraft and reentry capsule technology. These capsules simulate the extreme conditions of hypersonic flight, entering Earth's atmosphere at speeds up to Mach 25 (18,000 mph).

“By partnering with the commercial space industry, AFRL can provide the government with a novel, low-cost approach to iterative development,” said Erin Vaughan, an AFRL program official.

Founded in 2020, Varda Space specializes in creating spacecraft capable of manufacturing high-value materials, such as pharmaceuticals, in zero gravity. Additionally, the company designs reentry capsules that integrate NASA-derived thermal protection technologies to ensure safe atmospheric reentry.

In 2023, Varda secured $60 million in government and private funding to support testing for Air Force applications, followed by a four-year, $48 million contract with AFRL in 2024 for flights on its W-Series capsules.

The OSPREE spectrometer will record optical emissions from the plasma generated as the capsule descends, providing real-time data that offers critical insights into the behaviour of materials under extreme conditions. This data is instrumental in advancing both defence and commercial reentry technologies, paving the way for more efficient and reliable reentry systems.

“The deeper our understanding of the reentry environment, the faster we can advance defence capabilities while also paving the way for commercial space applications,” said Will Bruey, Varda’s CEO. “As the orbital economy grows, reentry will become as common as launch.”

The W-2 capsule launched aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission carried 131 satellites to sun-synchronous orbit, including Earth observation platforms from companies such as Planet, Satellogic, HEO Robotics, and Unseenlabs.

The W-2 capsule, integrated with a Rocket Lab Pioneer satellite bus, will remain in orbit for several weeks before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere and descending to the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia. The W-1 capsule, the company’s first mission, successfully landed in Utah in February 2024.