Rocket Lab successfully deploys its third Pioneer spacecraft for Varda Space Industries' W-3 mission, marking a milestone in commercial in-space manufacturing.
 |
| Rocket Lab’s third Pioneer spacecraft successfully deployed for Varda Space Industries’ W-3 mission, advancing space-based manufacturing and reentry capabilities. Image: Rocket Lab |
LONG BEACH, California, USA — March 17, 2025:
Rocket Lab USA has successfully deployed its third Pioneer spacecraft for Varda Space Industries' W-3 mission, continuing to pioneer in-space manufacturing and reentry technologies. The mission launched on March 14, 2025, from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 11:43 p.m. PDT (06:43 a.m. UTC) and is now operating on orbit, just 15 days after the re-entry and landing of Varda’s W-2 mission.
The mission supports Varda’s 120kg manufacturing capsule, which focuses on the production of pharmaceutical products in the unique microgravity environment of space. This process offers advantages that are impossible to replicate on Earth. Rocket Lab’s Pioneer spacecraft provides essential components for the mission, including power, communications, propulsion, and attitude control systems, enabling Varda to carry out its innovative manufacturing operations.
Rocket Lab’s vertically integrated spacecraft systems, such as propulsion, avionics, solar panels, and flight software, power the mission. Once manufacturing is complete, Rocket Lab will oversee the capsule’s deorbiting and reentry maneuvers, preparing it for a safe landing at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia.
This is Rocket Lab’s third successful mission for Varda, following the successful W-1 and W-2 missions. The W-1 mission, which took place in February 2024, was the first in-space manufacturing mission outside the International Space Station. Since then, Rocket Lab has supported Varda’s rapid pace of development in commercial space manufacturing and hypersonic reentry capabilities.
Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab’s Founder and CEO, praised the rapid success of the mission series, stating that these advancements are reshaping the future of commercial space exploration. Wendy Shimata, VP of Autonomous Systems at Varda, emphasized that high-frequency launches and returns will soon become routine, making reentry from space to Earth a regular occurrence.
Rocket Lab is also in the final stages of assembling the fourth Pioneer spacecraft for Varda, set to continue this impressive sequence of missions. The spacecraft is being assembled at Rocket Lab’s Spacecraft Production Complex in Long Beach, California.