Latest news with #Transporter-14
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Varda Space Industries Launches W-4 with the FAA's First-Ever Reentry Vehicle Operator License and Debuts an In-House Satellite Bus
The company's fourth mission will focus on demonstrating its new satellite bus, an in-house heatshield, and solution-based pharmaceutical processing. EL SEGUNDO, Calif., June 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Varda Space Industries, a microgravity enabled life sciences company, launched its fourth mission Sunday afternoon. The W-4 mission is the maiden flight for Varda's next-generation spacecraft, designed and built in Varda's El Segundo headquarters and manufacturing facility. This flight marks several other firsts for the company and the ever-expanding orbital economy. While the mission profile is the same as previous flights, the entirety of this mission, with the exception of launch, is built, designed, and fully operated by Varda, including the pharmaceutical processing payload, the capsule, the heatshield, and the satellite bus. The W-4 vehicle launched aboard SpaceX's Transporter-14 rideshare mission at 2:25 pm Pacific time today from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. While in orbit, the satellite bus will provide the capsule with power, communications, attitude control, and propulsion. Once the orbital pharmaceutical processing portion of the flight is complete, the W-4 capsule will separate from the satellite bus and reenter the Earth's atmosphere. The capsule will reach speeds exceeding Mach 25 and ultimately land safely at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia, operated by Southern Launch. "Nothing is more exciting than the debut flight of a new commercial vehicle," said Varda CEO Will Bruey. "By vertically integrating, we can optimize for the flight cadence needed for our unique mission set, serving both pharmaceutical and government customers." The W-4 mission also heralds several other firsts for the company, including: a heatshield produced entirely in Varda's factory, a new solution-based pharmaceutical development payload module, and permission from FAA to reenter capsules through 2029 via a vehicle operator license under FAA Part 450; the first of its kind. A New Way to Process Pharmaceuticals in Orbit The W-4 capsule's internal payload is a solution-based crystallization module. This flight is the first time Varda will make small molecule crystals using a fluid-based expanded architecture. Solution-based crystallization is a common way for laboratories on Earth to control particle size and polymorphism of small molecule drugs, and this capability adds to the growing tool set available to pharmaceutical researchers in microgravity. The W-4 mission will test this protocol by crystalizing a proprietary molecule. "Varda is continuing to develop in-space process tools that meet the capability standards the pharmaceutical industry has come to expect, as well as our understanding of gravity's role in driving crystallization outcomes," said Adrian Radocea, Varda's Chief Science Officer. "Varda's high-cadence platform enables processing of pharmaceuticals in low Earth orbit outside the International Space Station, and we foresee increased demand to utilize the potential of microgravity for novel pharmaceutical development." Varda Receives First-Ever FAA Vehicle Operator License Under Part 450 As the only autonomous commercial reentry option for bringing products to Earth from space, Varda has been a pioneer for both in-space manufacturing and regulatory firsts related to the FAA's Part 450 regulations. The W-4 mission is the first time the agency has issued a vehicle operator license under Part 450, which allows Varda to reenter W-series capsules as needed without submitting new safety methodologies to FAA for each identical flight, while still prioritizing public safety. "Securing our Part 450 vehicle operator license is a major enabler for our reentry program. It gives us the regulatory flexibility to increase our flight cadence while holding ourselves to a consistently high safety bar," said Manoli Tsaparikos, Director of Mission Assurance at Varda. "Instead of seeking approval for each individual reentry, we can now operate under a comprehensive safety framework that supports routine, repeatable missions — exactly what's needed to scale access to space and make reentry as common as launch." Varda's First In-House C-PICA Heatshield The W-4 vehicle is equipped with Varda's first in-house manufactured heatshield, part of a NASA Tipping Point award and technology transfer licensing agreement for Varda to begin commercially producing C-PICA heatshield material. C-PICA (Conformal Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator) is an ablative material originally developed at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley and has been used on the W-series capsules for Varda's first three successful flights. NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) uses partnerships to expand important space technologies and capabilities, leveraging emerging markets and capabilities to meet NASA's strategic goals and industry needs. About Varda Varda Space Industries is making reentry as common as launch. We are building the infrastructure for a thriving orbital economy and enabling foundational science, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical hypersonic reentry capsules. Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, Calif. and also has offices in Washington, D.C. and Huntsville, Ala. Follow Varda on X (@vardaspace), Instagram (@vardaspaceindustries), and LinkedIn. Media Inquiries: media@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Varda Space Industries Inc. Sign in to access your portfolio
NDTV
3 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
Transporter-14 Mission: SpaceX To Launch Capsules Of DNA, Human Remains Into Space
SpaceX is set to launch the Transporter-14 rideshare mission on a Falcon 9 rocket on Monday (June 23), carrying capsules containing DNA samples and cremated remains from people around the world, reported. The samples will be onboard the Perseverance Flight, which is a project by Celestis, a Houston-based company, that offers a unique way to honour loved ones. The Perseverance Flight will carry more than 150 capsules with samples. The company said that after reaching space, the capsules will return to Earth aboard their recovery vehicle. The memorial capsules will land safely in the Pacific Ocean, where they will be recovered and returned to the family as a "lasting tribute" to their loved one's journey among the stars. The flight will travel at 17,000 miles per hour and achieve Low Earth Orbit after its launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It will complete two to three full orbits around Earth before gently re-entering the atmosphere. The development highlights the trend of space burial, which has happened in the past. Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, was the first person to have his remains buried in space in 1992. Eugene Merle Shoemaker, a renowned astronaut, was the first person to have his remains buried on the Moon. Timothy Leary, a psychologist and philosopher, also had his remains launched into space. In an X post, SpaceX updated that the launch date was changed from Sunday to Monday due to unfavourable weather. Due to unfavorable weather, now targeting Monday, June 23 for launch of the Transporter-14 mission from California → — SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 22, 2025 Celestis announced that it has entered into a new launch service in collaboration with The Exploration Company (TEC) - a European spacecraft manufacturer. "Celestis is pleased to offer a new type of Earth Rise mission, thanks to The Exploration Company," Charles Chafer, the company's co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. "Our participants' capsules will orbit the Earth and return via the Mission Possible capsule, creating a spectacular liftoff and recovery experience." What is space burial, and what are the common methods to do it? The space burial is a unique way to honour the loved ones by launching cremated remains into space. Earth Orbit: Remains are launched into orbit around the Earth, where they stay for some time before burning up upon re-entry. Moon Burial: Remains are taken to the lunar surface, providing a lasting tribute. Deep Space: Remains are launched into deep space, travelling beyond the solar system. Suborbital Flights: Short flights that cross the boundary of space without reaching orbital velocity, often returning to Earth.
UPI
3 days ago
- Science
- UPI
Space X set to launch Transporter-14 rideshare mission
SpaceX is set to launch its Transporter-14 rideshare mission that will carry dozens of payloads, including multiple satellites and human DNA. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo June 23 (UPI) -- SpaceX is set to launch its Transporter-14 rideshare mission, carrying multiple satellites and human DNA. The flight is set to launch from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base with a 57-minute flight window set to open at 5:18 p.m. EDT. The flight is set to carry 70 payloads, including cubesats, microsats and re-entry capsules. A German Company, Exolaunch, will also deploy a payload carrying 45 satellites of deployment hardware on this flight, its largest ever deployment including a satellite that is used to study water quality from space, and a Earth observation satellite will be used to look over cloudy conditions. Exolaunch CEO Robert Sproles said that SpaceX's rideshare program is "industry enabling". "It gives an opportunity to really pressure test not only our hardware, but all of our systems and missions management to make this a very smooth process for our customers so that they have a really easy time," Sproles said. Celetsis, a Houston-based company behind space-burial services, announced the flight would also have a payload that is carrying over 150 flight capsules with DNA and human remains. The payload from Celetsis will reach low Earth orbit and did two or three circuits around before re-entering the atmosphere. The capsules were then recovered from the Pacific Ocean and returned to the clients. "Celestis is pleased to offer a new type of Earth Rise mission, thanks to The Exploration Company," the company's co-founder and CEO Charles Chafer, said in a statement. "Our participants' capsules will orbit the Earth and return via the Mission Possible capsule, creating a spectacular liftoff and recovery experience." Transporter was initially set to launch on Sunday but was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather.
India Today
3 days ago
- Business
- India Today
SpaceX to launch 150 capsules with cremated human remains to space
SpaceX is set to launch its Transporter-14 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday, marking another development in the growing field of memorial the dozens of payloads on board, the Perseverance Flight, a project by Houston-based company Celestis, will carry more than 150 capsules containing cremated human remains and DNA samples from clients around the Perseverance Flight is designed as a unique memorial experience. After reaching low Earth orbit, the capsule will complete two or three circuits around the planet before reentering the atmosphere. The memorial capsules, protected inside the Mission Possible reentry vehicle, will then splash down in the Pacific teams will retrieve the capsules and return them to clients as cherished keepsakes, offering families a tangible connection to their loved ones' journey through Sunday, June 22 for a Falcon 9 launch of the Transporter-14 mission from Space Launch Complex 4E in California. Teams are keeping an eye on weather SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 21, 2025This mission marks Celestis' 12th 'Earth Rise' flight and its 25th overall space mission, reflecting the company's growing role in the memorial spaceflight is pleased to offer a new type of Earth Rise mission, thanks to The Exploration Company,' said Charles Chafer, Celestis co-founder and CEO. 'Our participants' capsules will orbit the Earth and return via the Mission Possible capsule, creating a spectacular liftoff and recovery experience'.The Falcon 9 booster, B1071, will follow a southward trajectory after launch to place its rideshare payloads into Sun-synchronous orbit before landing on the 'Of Course I Still Love You' droneship in the those making history on this flight is three-year-old Matteo Barth, who will become the youngest German—and the youngest European overall—to send his DNA into space, symbolically joining his late grandfather, Dieter Barth, in this mission, SpaceX and Celestis continue to expand the possibilities for personal memorials, blending cutting-edge space technology with deeply personal human Watch
