Here's footage from a Varda capsule, sent up on a SpaceX rocket to do test drug manufacturing technology in zero gravity, as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere at mach 23. Click two minutes and thirty seconds in if you want to jump straight to "hyperspace."
Varda Space Industries' spacecraft, W-1, successfully landed at the Utah Test and Training Range on February 21, 2024. This marks the first time a commercial company has landed a spacecraft on United States soil. A camera installed inside W-1 captured the entire reentry in this first-of-its-kind video. You'll witness W-1 orbiting Earth in LEO, smooth separation from Rocket Lab's satellite bus, and its trajectory as it reenters Earth's atmosphere at speeds over Mach 25 before safely deploying its parachute and landing. This successful launch and reentry was possible through Varda Space Industries' partnership with Rocket Lab, SpaceX, the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and the FAA.
From low earth orbit to sandy climes in five minutes. Can't wait!
Varda was up there longer than expected, having to wait on a permit.
