Varda Space has successfully launched its sixth reentry capsule as part of the SpaceX Transporter-16 mission. The vehicle lifted off on a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Base in California on March 30th, carrying a US government-funded experiment focused on hypersonic technology.
The W-6 series capsule delivered its orbital payload, which is intended to test a navigation system capable of determining the vehicle’s position when communication and GPS signals are obstructed by a plasma sheath during hypersonic flight. This technology was developed by Rhea Space Activity, with backing from the US Space Force and the US Air Force Research Laboratory.
Varda has long been engaged in advancing microgravity materials production. The W-series capsules are designed to remain in orbit for weeks or even months before reentering the atmosphere, reaching speeds exceeding Mach 25 (approximately 31,000 km/h) upon descent.
These extreme reentry conditions are precisely what piqued the interest of US defense agencies. Since last year, Varda began utilizing its capsules as a testing platform for hypersonic technologies, as the stress experienced during descent mirrors that encountered by contemporary hypersonic systems.
A distinct feature of this particular mission is the requirement for the navigation system to operate during a period of so-called radio blackout, where the plasma sheath surrounding the craft blocks both GPS and radio communications. To achieve this, a system integrating twin cameras and an onboard computer is employed. During the flight, this system captures imagery through the plasma and subsequently aligns the visual data with star patterns and satellites stored in the US Space Force’s Unified Data Library. This process allows for the calculation of the vehicle’s precise location without reliance on satellite navigation.
The developers believe this technology represents a significant stride toward fully autonomous navigation for hypersonic and reentering vehicles, particularly when connectivity is lost and GPS functionality cannot be utilized.
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