John Thomas 
Varda Space Industries, the in-space manufacturing startup, is making strategic moves to advance its space missions. The company has recently announced plans to land its upcoming spacecraft in Australia, while it continues to work with U.S. regulators to gain approval for its initial mission’s reentry in Utah.
In a recent interview, Delian Asparouhov, one of Varda’s co-founders, revealed that the U.S. Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously rejected their application to land their first in-space manufacturing spacecraft in the Utah desert. The primary issue stemmed from the coordination challenges among the three parties involved in the reentry framework known as Part 450, rather than concerns about the safety, design, or analysis of Varda’s vehicle.
As part of their efforts to resolve this coordination issue, Varda held in-person meetings with the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) to establish new target dates for spacecraft reentry. They are confident that they meet all the regulatory requirements of Part 450 and believe that the main challenge lies in coordinating the specific window for reentry.
While Varda is actively engaging with U.S. regulators, they have also entered into a new agreement with the Australian company Southern Launch. Under this agreement, Varda’s next capsule is set to land at the Koonibba Test Range in 2024. Asparouhov clarified that this decision is not driven by regulatory compliance issues in the United States; the company will still require an FAA reentry license, even for a reentry not on American soil. The choice to land in Australia is influenced by factors like range availability, resources, and capabilities.
The importance of understanding range availability is highlighted in the context of spacecraft reentry. Once the reentry burn is executed, the spacecraft will return to Earth, whether regulatory approval is secured or not. Varda plans to have a minimum of three to four ranges online, and UTTR has encouraged the startup to coordinate with multiple ranges from the outset. This aligns with Varda’s goal to achieve a reentry cadence of at least once per month by 2026.
Regulatory challenges in the space industry have been in the spotlight recently. Notably, three major space companies testified before Congress, unanimously requesting increased resources for the FAA to manage the growing volume of space launch activities. Companies also emphasized the need for streamlined regulation to ensure American competitiveness on the global stage.
Asparouhov shared his perspective on space regulation, indicating that there has been exponential growth in space activities over the past nine years. He believes that the key to addressing regulatory challenges lies in staffing and responsiveness, particularly within the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST). As the industry evolves, having sufficient staff and resources for in-depth technical analysis is crucial for coordinating such activities without compromising safety or regulatory standards.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Dive Digest journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.