Varda recovers W-8 while two capsules stay in orbit

Varda said its W-8 capsule landed at the Koonibba Test Range at 5:58 a.m. Pacific on Nov. 5 after 35 days in orbit, while W-7 and W-9 stayed on orbit. The company said this was its first time operating three vehicles at once, that W-8 carried Canopy's Smart TPS-F and exterior thermal-protection materials from a government hypersonic program, and that seven capsules have safely reentered since 2024. Australian Defence Magazine, citing Southern Launch, puts the landing at 12:05 a.m. ACDT on Nov. 6 and names the Air Force Research Laboratory's Prometheus program; the two clocks do not match.