Koonibba Test Range
A 47,000+ square kilometer stretch of remote South Australian land where spacecraft capsules land after reentry, run with the Koonibba Aboriginal community.
Why it matters
Companies making products in orbit need a safe, licensed place to bring capsules home. Few such land sites exist, and Southern Launch says Koonibba now leads the world for orbital returns.
How the technology works
Southern Launch handles approvals and permits, clears air and sea space, tracks the capsule with telescopes and leads recovery. Capsules such as Varda's reenter at about Mach 25, land under parachute and are collected on the range.
The company also offers the range for suborbital technology tests.
Sources
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction