Varda and Southern Launch Announce Agreement for 20 Reentries from Orbit Through 2028
The companies have reaffirmed their successful partnership to bring products from space back to Earth.
SYDNEY, Aus. – Sept 30, 2025. Varda Space Industries, a microgravity-enabled life sciences and reentry company, and Southern Launch, a space mission service provider announced today that they have reached an agreement to extend their partnership for 20 reentries into the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia through 2028.
Since Varda’s W-2 and W-3 missions reentered in Feb. and May 2025, Varda and Southern Launch have worked to reenter Varda’s space capsules into the 15,830 square mile Koonibba Test Range, a commercial launch and reentry spaceport in South Australia. Capsules W-4 and W-5 are scheduled to reenter at the Koonibba Test Range by the end of this year.
As two key commercial entities leading the emerging orbital economy, Varda and Southern Launch have created a valuable partnership that is a shining example of new space companies working together to bring home products made in space to benefit people on Earth. This new agreement between the companies will cement Australia’s role as the leader in commercial space launch and returns, and secure landing space for Varda’s future missions, which are planned to increase to a near-monthly cadence by the end of 2028.
Varda and Southern Launch announced an expansion of their partnership at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, Australia. (L-R: Eric Lasker, CRO Varda Space Industries, Lloyd Damp, CEO Southern Launch, Enrico Palermo, Head of the Australian Space Agency)
Varda primarily uses its W-series vehicles to make novel pharmaceuticals in orbit, although the capsules can also be used as a hypersonic testbed for government experiments as well as to expand capacity for foundational research in microgravity. As the capsules bring those products home, they reenter the Earth’s atmosphere at Mach 25. The capsules then deploy a parachute to slow their descent before landing safely in the Australian outback.
“Varda’s partnership with Southern Launch has proven itself to be formative for our business,” said Varda Chief Revenue Officer Eric Lasker. “The team at Southern Launch has continued to operate at a level that we can truly rely on, and we’re thrilled to see our partnership expand, and become a cornerstone of the space economy.”
Southern Launch is Australia’s leading space mission service provider and operates the Koonibba Test Range in partnership with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation. The company secured the series return authorisation for Varda’s first three Australian reentry missions (W-2,3, and 4) which was the first authorisation approved for a domestically returning spacecraft under the amended Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018.
“Varda is leading the way for in-space manufacturing and we are proud to work alongside them to bring their capsules back to Earth safely. This contract is a vote of confidence in our team and our facilities and with each successful mission, we’re proving that the Koonibba Test Range is the best place on Earth to bring space technology home,” Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp said. “Routine re-entries are no longer a dream, they are happening now and we are proud to lead the way with Varda.”