It comes three months after the space agency granted Southern Launch, which operates the site, Australia’s first authorisation to capture spacecraft that re-enter Earth’s atmosphere from orbit.
Varda, the company behind the W-2 capsule, believes in-space manufacturing could lead to the development of lifesaving treatments because of the natural advantages of being away from Earth, including microgravity and a vacuum.
Aside from pharmaceuticals, the spacecraft also contains payloads including a heatshield developed with NASA’s Ames Research Center and a spectrometer created by the US Air Force’s research division.
The re-entry will allow the payloads to experience extreme hypersonic conditions that will exceed beyond Mach 15 – or 15 times the speed of sound.
==
==
“High-hypersonic flow conditions are impossible to replicate on the ground, and flight testing is the only way to advance our understanding of the unique aerothermal chemistry experienced by spacecraft on their way back to Earth,” said Varda.
“Additionally, most test vehicles are not recoverable and are often limited to lower hypersonic conditions that do not provide a complete picture of the environment with adequate heat loads, pressures, and plasma formation.”
The launch on Tuesday was onboard a SpaceX Falcon9 that was part of the huge Transporter-12 mission carrying 131 payloads in total.
It marks the second Varda capsule to enter space after its first landed in the Utah desert in February with the aid of a Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft.
PROMOTED CONTENT
Lloyd Damp, the chief executive of Southern Launch, said, “The successful launch of the W-2 capsule is only the beginning of this incredibly exciting mission. Our team is now focused on the safe return and recovery of the capsule to the Koonibba Test Range.
“In-space manufacturing is the next evolution of our industry capacity as humans. We are so proud to bring this mission to Australia and this first mission signals a new wave of excitement as to what is possible both here on Earth and in space.”
The Koonibba Test Range, meanwhile, is an ideal venue because it’s designed to allow companies to recover their rockets and payloads.
The site covers more than 41,000 square kilometres of uninhabited land and is operated in conjunction with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation.
It’s also significantly separate from Southern Launch’s more traditional Whalers Way Complex at the tip of the Eyre Peninsula, which specialises in orbital launches over the sea.
Adam Thorn
Adam is a journalist who has worked for more than 40 prestigious media brands in the UK and Australia. Since 2005, his varied career has included stints as a reporter, copy editor, feature writer and editor for publications as diverse as Fleet Street newspaper The Sunday Times, fashion bible Jones, media and marketing website Mumbrella as well as lifestyle magazines such as GQ, Woman’s Weekly, Men’s Health and Loaded. He joined Momentum Media in early 2020 and currently writes for Australian Aviation and World of Aviation.
Receive the latest developments and updates on Australia’s space industry direct to your inbox. Subscribe today to Space Connect here.
