Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, has successfully delivered its third Pioneer spacecraft for Varda Space Industries, Inc. (“Varda”) to Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in preparation for launch. This milestone marks another step in Rocket Lab’s ongoing collaboration with Varda, supporting the company’s mission to develop in-orbit manufacturing capabilities. Notably, this is the second Pioneer spacecraft delivered by Rocket Lab for launch in just one month, demonstrating the efficiency and scalability of its spacecraft production.
Supporting Varda’s In-Orbit Manufacturing Expansion
The latest spacecraft delivery is set to support Varda’s third orbital processing and hypersonic reentry mission, designated as W-3. Earlier this month, Rocket Lab’s second spacecraft for Varda, W-2, successfully launched and is currently operating in orbit. The W-2 mission is carrying payloads from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and NASA’s Ames Research Center, conducting critical research to expand Varda’s pharmaceutical processing hardware capabilities in space. Following its mission completion, W-2 will undergo hypersonic reentry and recovery in South Australia.
Like its predecessors, W-3 is based on Rocket Lab’s Pioneer spacecraft platform, leveraging an array of vertically integrated spacecraft components and subsystems. This includes spacecraft propulsion, flight software, avionics, reaction wheels, star trackers, separation systems, solar panels, radios, composite structures, and tanks. The W-3 spacecraft will provide essential power, communications, propulsion, and attitude control for Varda’s 120kg manufacturing capsule, designed to take advantage of microgravity conditions to develop high-value products that are challenging or impossible to create on Earth.
Advancing Hypersonic Reentry Capabilities
Once the on-orbit production phase is complete, Rocket Lab and Varda will oversee in-space operations, executing positioning maneuvers to ensure a controlled deorbit, safe landing, and recovery of the manufacturing capsule in Australia. The recovery process will take place at the Koonibba Test Range, operated by Southern Launch.
Rocket Lab’s Founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, emphasized the significance of the rapid spacecraft deliveries, stating, “Delivering W-3 while W-2 is actively operating in orbit demonstrates our team’s exceptional ability to manage multiple complex missions in parallel. It really highlights the skill of our team and the strength of our integrated spacecraft technologies.”
Wendy Shimata, Varda Space Industries Vice President of Autonomous Systems, added, “By increasing the cadence of manufacture, launch, and reentry, we are building the foundation for a thriving orbital economy. Our goal is to decrease the time between missions until it’s commonplace for capsules to bring products made in space back to people on Earth.”
Growing Spacecraft Production and Future Missions
The W-3 mission is scheduled for launch no earlier than March from VSFB. Meanwhile, Rocket Lab is currently in the final assembly phase for the fourth and final spacecraft in the current contract with Varda at its Spacecraft Production Complex and Headquarters in Long Beach, California. The rapid development and integration of these spacecraft underscore Rocket Lab’s ability to provide reliable and efficient solutions for commercial and governmental space operations.
Rocket Lab’s growing spacecraft production capabilities play a crucial role in the expanding in-orbit manufacturing industry. With increasing interest in microgravity-enabled research and product development, companies like Varda are leveraging space-based platforms to create high-value materials, including pharmaceuticals and specialized composites. The ability to manufacture in microgravity offers unique advantages, such as the formation of purer materials and more efficient chemical processes, which can lead to innovations across multiple industries.
About Rocket Lab
Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. The company delivers reliable launch services, satellite manufacturing, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions, making space access faster, easier, and more affordable. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle and a family of spacecraft platforms, and it is actively developing the larger Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment.
Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually, successfully delivering more than 200 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations. These missions support operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications.
Rocket Lab’s spacecraft platforms have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. The company operates three launch pads at two sites: two launch pads at a private orbital launch site in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia, USA.
To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.