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Air Force

Varda Space Capsule Successfully Lands On Earth In Hypersonic Reentry Test

By Cal Biesecker

Wednesday, May 14th, 2025

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Varda Space Capsule Successfully Lands On Earth In Hypersonic Reentry Test

Varda's W-3 capsule after landing in South Australia on May 13, 2025. Photo: Varda Space Industries

Varda Space Industries on Tuesday said its W-3 capsule successfully landed in South Australia following two months on orbit in a test of an inertial measurement technology in the high-hypersonic reentry environment. Varda partnered with the U.S. Air Force on the mission under the Prometheus program, in which the two are collaborating on to rapidly conduct technology experiments in the extreme reentry environment. The W-3 reentered Earth’s atmosphere at speeds exceeding Mach 25 before deploying a parachute for landing at…

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