WHAT A DAY! We're headed back to the Moon!
And most excitingly, Southern Launch is playing a role in supporting the Artemis II mission through our partners at Raven Defense.
We're helping NASA to assess the broader aerospace community’s tracking capabilities.
This week at Southern Launch:
Thursday: Launch A01 for AtSpace
Saturday: @VardaSpace launched their W-5 mission
Very soon: Return of W-4 to the Koonibba Test Range
Soon: The return of W-5 to the Koonibba Test Range
High-cadence operations for our customers: business as usual.
Australian-made rocket lifts off from the Koonibba Test Range!
On November 27 at 9:22am AtSpace’s A01 rocket made history from our Koonibba Test Range, soaring 80km into the sky and validating their cutting-edge hybrid propulsion.
It's true! 20 more @VardaSpace capsules incoming to the Koonibba Test Range!
🎉 Huge news from #IAC2025! @SouthernLaunch has signed a commercial agreement with US-based @VardaSpace in Sydney, paving the way for 20 spacecraft returns to South Australia's Koonibba Test Range by 2028.
Read more ➡ bit.ly/4gSDEws
#SpaceToBe
We are at #IAC2025 and we are giving you all the feels!
Be sure to stop by the @SASIC_Aus stand to try out our immersive experience.
You'll feel what it is like during a rocket launch and re-entry and you'll get the feels hearing the story!
Come try it for yourself!
Southern Launch retweeted
On his recent trip to Australia, @StateDept AUKUS Senior Advisor Matthew Steinhelfer met with government leaders, think tanks, students, and other stakeholders. Mr Steinhelfer is a regular visitor here and we appreciate the warm welcome from our ACT, SA and WA partners.
The W-3 mission demonstrated Southern Launch's capability to support high cadence orbital re-entries.
Working together with @Varda and @RocketLab we were able to welcome W-3 capsule back to Earth just 10 weeks after the W-2 mission - watch to see how.
youtu.be/RsIUFDUfLz0
Southern Launch proudly won two awards at the 2025 Australian Space Awards!
Southern Launch won Launch Provider of the Year. Together with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation, we were also awarded the Indigenous Space Initiative of the Year for the SR75-1 launch.
Happy to help @VardaSpace!
And then there were 3. Thank you to @RocketLab, @SouthernLaunch, @SpaceX, and of course @AFResearchLab and @NASA.
How good does South Australia look from space!
The @VardaSpace W-3 capsule caught some beautiful images as it landed at the Koonibba Test Range.
Watch the full re-entry on Youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=G0r5vLTz…
(Bonus points to anyone who can identify any SA landmarks)
Welcome home W-3!
Around the world in 60 days.
✅ 900+ orbits
✅24.5 million miles traveled
✅Our third successful Earth re-entry mission
Rocket Lab’s Pioneer spacecraft has released @VardaSpace’s capsule safely back to Earth landing at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia, operated by @southernlaunch.
Another Earth re-entry. Another mission complete. 🚀🌍
Learn more: bit.ly/44yPEPH
Two orbital re-entries in 10 weeks? We got this.
At 11:47am on May 14 2025 Southern Launch welcomed the @VardaSpace W-3 capsule to the Koonibba Test Range.
W-3 spent 61 days in orbit supported by the @RocketLab Pioneer spacecraft.
W-3 is touching down at the Koonibba Test Range in the coming days. For detailed mission information see our website: southernlaunch.space/upcomin…
Inbound! Over the next few days, we will work with our partners @RocketLab and @SouthernLaunch to reenter and recover the W-3 capsule. W-3 is Varda’s third mission, and the second this year.
We can't wait to welcome W-3 back to Earth at the Koonibba Test Range!
Pioneer’s second engine burn complete ✅
Next up: Burn 3 and release of @vardaspace’s capsule over @southernlaunch's Koonibba Test Range in South Australia.
Our Year 10 work experience program is back for 2025!
We're inviting students who want to learn about the space industry to join us for work experience from Monday June 16 to Thursday June 19.
Learn more on our website - southernlaunch.space/news-fe…
Southern Launch has closed a significant funding round which will help us build out our infrastructure and capabilities to serve the global space industry. Read more on our website - southernlaunch.space/news-fe…
We can't wait to see W-3 back on Earth at the Koonibba Test Range!
We successfully acquired signal from W-3. Our system health checks are now complete and we can confirm that the capsule is operating nominally.
We'll see you again down under soon, @SouthernLaunch @AusSpaceAgency!
It's been a big day for the Southern Launch and @VardaSpace teams. Welcome Down Under W-2!
We can confirm that at 6:32 AM PT the W-2 capsule landed safely at the Koonibba Test Range, operated by @SouthernLaunch, becoming the first-ever commercial spacecraft to reenter on Australian soil.

























