Varda's W-3 capsule lands at Koonibba, South Australia

Varda Space Industries/W-series capsules

Varda's W-3 capsule reentered and landed at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia on May 14. Launched in March on a SpaceX rideshare, it carried a US Air Force Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) developed with Innovative Scientific Solutions Incorporated (ISSI) to test guidance at hypersonic reentry speeds, advancing defense and space capabilities.

• W-3 launched March 2025 on SpaceX rideshare; landed May 13 (reentered May 14) at Koonibba.
• Payload: Air Force/ISSI-developed IMU to test guidance at hypersonic reentry speeds.
• Funded by AFRL Prometheus program partnering with Varda.
• Data validates reentry navigation; Varda targets high-cadence routine operations: 'make reentry as commonplace as launch.'