WASHINGTON — Varda Space Industries on March 30 launched its sixth reentry capsule carrying U. S. Government-funded experiments designed to operate under the extreme conditions of hypersonic flight.
Based in El Segundo, California, Varda operates a line of spacecraft intended to manufacture materials in microgravity and return them to Earth.
The system is designed to determine the vehicle's position during reentry, when a plasma sheath forms around the spacecraft and blocks GPS signals and radio communications. The blackout period has long been a challenge for vehicles returning from space.
