W-Series capsule
A small spacecraft and return capsule that rides a rideshare rocket to orbit, does its work for weeks or months, then reenters and lands under parachute for pickup.
Why it matters
Getting things back from orbit has mostly meant waiting for a space station cargo ship. Varda flies its own capsules on a regular schedule, which makes regular return of experiments, materials and test hardware possible.
How the technology works
A Varda-built satellite bus supplies power, navigation and propulsion in orbit. When the mission ends, the capsule separates and reenters behind a C-PICA heat shield, a material first developed at NASA Ames that Varda now makes itself, then descends by parachute to a landing range such as Koonibba in South Australia.