Varda’s W2 Mission Lifts Off; Set To Return To South Australia
There’s a pioneering effort to replace the risks associated with in orbit manufacturing of drugs that’s about to touch down in South Australia after a second round of production in orbit.
Varda Space Industrys is currently in it’s second round of production following the successful W1 mission last year that returned to Earth in Utah. This time, they’re aiming for the Koonibba Test Range with the next evolution of manufacturing in orbit.
The W-2 capsule carries payloads from Varda partners, including a spectrometer from the Air Force Research Laboratory and employs a heatshield with a Thermal Protection System developed in collaboration with NASA’s Ames Research Center. These payloads are in addition to Varda’s expanded pharmaceutical reactor.
It launched aboard a Falcon 9 transporter mission on the 14th of January 2025.