Varda Space Capsule’s Fiery Reentry Captured In Stunning Video

Varda Space has released breathtaking footage of its W-2 capsule’s high-speed return to Earth, showcasing the dramatic process of atmospheric reentry.

The spacecraft successfully completed its mission on 27 February, landing at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia after spending six weeks in orbit. The 120-kilogram (265-pound) capsule was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-12 mission.

A Fiery Descent At Mach 25

The newly released onboard video captures the final moments of the capsule’s journey, revealing stunning visuals of its descent. The last two minutes of footage show intense heating as the capsule plunges through the thick layers of Earth’s atmosphere at speeds exceeding Mach 25—25 times the speed of sound.

You can watch the full video by following this link.

As the spacecraft interacts with the atmosphere, bright, multicoloured sparks flash across the screen, creating a breathtaking visual effect. The capsule, designed with ceramic heat-resistant materials, endured the extreme conditions before deploying its parachute for a controlled landing.

Advancing Space Manufacturing And Hypersonic Research

The W-2 capsule carried two key payloads:

• A spectrometer from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
• A pharmaceutical reactor for in-orbit drug manufacturing

This mission provided valuable data for hypersonic technology development while also advancing space-based pharmaceutical research.

Varda’s Growing Presence in Space Manufacturing

Varda Space is working to establish itself as a leader in the in-space manufacturing industry, leveraging microgravity to produce high-quality pharmaceuticals and other products.

The W-2 mission follows the company’s W-1 mission, which landed in Utah in February 2024 after eight months in orbit. That mission successfully returned crystals of an antiviral drug grown in microgravity, highlighting the potential of space-based drug production.