Southern Launch and Varda granted Australian Government approval for the first spacecraft re-entries at the Koonibba Test Range

The Varda capsule from the first mission after it landed in the United States in 2024. 

Southern Launch and Varda Space Industries, an American microgravity-enabled life sciences company, have received authorisation from the Australian Government for a series of returns at the Koonibba Test Range.

The return authorisation is the first granted by the Australian Government for a domestically returning spacecraft under the amended Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018. The authorisation will see three Varda pharmaceutical manufacturing capsules re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and land in the Koonibba Test Range. 

Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp says, ‘Gaining approval from the Australian Government is testament to the incredible work the Varda and Southern Launch teams have put in during the approval process. Southern Launch has extensive experience in gaining launch facility licenses and launch permits from the agency and we are proud that our expertise now extends to return authorisations.’

This authorisation makes Varda the first company to be able to re-enter spacecraft on land in two countries after Varda received a re-entry license from the US Federal Aviation Authority. The company hopes this achievement will usher in an orbital economy where spacecraft re-entry is as common as launch.

Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo says, ‘This historic authorisation is a powerful signal of Australia’s opportunity to become a responsible launch and returns hub for the global space community. We have always had geographic advantages that make us a desirable place for launch and returns but the introduction of our Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) with the US is accelerating that growth.’  

Enrico continues, ‘The TSA is forging stronger links between our commercial sectors and enabling new possibilities. It generates investment to enhance local infrastructure, scale our sector, and expand market access for Australian companies - bringing economic opportunity across our nation but particularly to our regions where these launch and return facilities are often located.’

Southern Launch and Varda will collaborate on a series of W-Series missions which will put South Australia on the map as the global hub for orbital reentry.

‘Varda is honoured to perform Australia’s first commercial space reentry, and we’re excited to partner with our friends at Southern Launch to support the development of a thriving Australian space sector,’ said Will Bruey, CEO Varda Space Industries. ‘Australia is clear-eyed about the promise of orbital pharmaceutical processing, and Southern Launch have led the way for the future of space infrastructure on Earth.’

Varda Space Industries are pioneers in developing orbital manufacturing capsules. The natural advantages of the space environment, in particular microgravity, enables the production of improved pharmaceutical formulations that cannot be produced on Earth.

Corey McLennan, CEO of the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation says, ‘The Koonibba Test Range offers more than 41,000 square kilometres of uninhabited land to accept the re-entry of in-space manufacturing capsules,’ says Lloyd. ‘This open space combined with low air traffic means we can accept a high cadence of re-entry missions. This is essential for low-earth orbit to be the home for humanity’s next evolution of industrial capacity.’

The first of the W-Series re-entry missions, W-2, is scheduled for early 2025 at the Koonibba Test Range, which Southern Launch operates in partnership with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation.

The W-2 mission includes payloads from NASA and other US government partners, along with Varda’s internal research that aims to expand process capabilities and capacity of orbital pharmaceutical hardware.