US firm successfully completes second hypersonic capsule reentry for defense payloads

Varda Space Industries successfully landed its W-6 reentry capsule at South Australia’s Koonibba Test Range after a hypersonic return mission.

The capsule carried NASA and Sandia National Laboratory payloads, including autonomous navigation hardware and sensor-equipped heatshield tiles.

The mission was funded through the Prometheus program and supported defense and research partners such as the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA Ames.

The flight is meant to deliver real-world data on hypersonic reentry, communications blackout, navigation, and thermal protection for future commercial and national security use.