The SpaceX Transporter-12 mission launched Tuesday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California carrying 131 payloads into orbit. The payloads included CubeSats, MicroSats, and orbital transfer vehicles carrying 30 of those payloads, 14 of which will be deployed at a later time. To date, SpaceX has launched more than 1,100 payloads to orbit for 130+ customers across our entire Rideshare program.
"By investing in the health of our planet now, Pixxel hopes not just to shape the trajectory of Earth observation but also to help write the next chapter in the story of our shared future."
Awais Ahmed, Pixxel
Among those payloads was the second Varda orbital processing and reentry capsule, W-2. The W-2 capsule carries payloads from Varda partners, including a spectrometer from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and employs a heatshield with a Thermal Protection System (TPS) developed in collaboration with NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley. These payloads are in addition to Varda's expanded pharmaceutical reactor.
AFRL leads the discovery, development, and delivery of novel aerospace technologies, and Varda is honored to fly AFRL's Optical Sensing of Plasmas in the Reentry Environment (OSPREE) payload on W-2. OSPREE is an optical emission spectroscopy system designed to record spectral measurements of the dynamic reentry plasma environment. The sensor will yield the first in situ optical emission measurements of the reentry environment past Mach 15 in history. OSPREE is the first DoD payload experiment to be flown on Varda's hypersonic testbed, which offers true reentry flight heritage for materials and sensors in excess of Mach 25.
High-hypersonic flow conditions are impossible to replicate on the ground, and flight testing is the only way to advance our understanding of the unique aerothermal chemistry experienced by spacecraft on their way back to Earth. Additionally, most test vehicles are not recoverable and are often limited to lower hypersonic conditions that do not provide a complete picture of the environment with adequate heat loads, pressures, and plasma formation.
The Prometheus program, a partnership between Varda and AFRL, addresses a national security need to accelerate the ability to test and modernize high-hypersonic systems and reentry technologies through a low-cost, high cadence flight testbed. AFRL recently awarded Varda a flight services Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract to fund and access flights through 2028.
"By partnering with the commercial space industry, AFRL can provide the Government S&T community with a novel, low-cost approach to iterative development. Prometheus fills a longstanding experimentation gap for the maturation of future reentry system technologies," said Dr. Erin Vaughan, AFRL Prometheus Lead.
"Varda is proud to leverage its flight-proven commercial reentry capability as a hypersonic testbed, which we hope will be a reliable foundation for advancing the hypersonic sector. Deepening our understanding of the reentry environment accelerates defense capabilities while also advancing commercial space," said Varda CEO Will Bruey. "As we grow the orbital economy, reentry will be as common as launch. Varda's first hypersonic testbed mission, through our key partnership with AFRL, is in service of that goal."
The W-2 capsule will orbit via a Rocket Lab Pioneer satellite bus and will reenter at Koonibba Test Range in South Australia, operated by Southern Launch.
Also on board the Falcon 9 were the first three satellites of Pixxel's Firefly constellation. This marks a significant milestone for Pixxel as it begins commercial operations, delivering critical climate and Earth insights to industries worldwide and solidifying its position as a global leader in Earth Observation.
The Fireflies, currently the world’s highest-resolution commercial-grade hyperspectral satellites, bring unprecedented precision to monitoring the planet and setting a new benchmark for hyperspectral imaging capabilities. With a 5-meter (≈16.5 feet) resolution attained for the first time in a hyperspectral spacecraft, Fireflies are six times sharper than the 30-meter (≈100 foot) standard of most existing hyperspectral satellites, capturing fine details previously invisible to conventional systems.
This high resolution is paired with the ability to capture data across 150+ spectral bands, enabling Fireflies to detect subtle changes in chemical compositions, vegetation health, water quality, and even atmospheric conditions with unmatched accuracy. Unlike traditional Earth observation satellites that rely on broader spectral bands, Firefly’s narrowband sensors uncover hidden patterns and anomalies critical for applications ranging from agriculture to climate action.
Pixxel’s satellites also feature a 25-mile swath width and a daily revisit capability, enabling consistent monitoring of vast areas without compromising on detail and ensuring that no critical event goes unnoticed. This combination of high spatial resolution, spectral richness, and frequent global coverage positions Firefly as the world's most advanced commercial hyperspectral imaging system.
Orbiting in a sun-synchronous orbit at roughly 342 miles, the Fireflies will form the cornerstone of Pixxel’s mission to build a health monitor for the planet.
“The future of our planet depends on how deeply we understand it today. The successful deployment of our first commercial satellites is a defining moment for Pixxel and a giant leap toward redefining how we use space technology to address the planet's challenges," said Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Pixxel. "By investing in the health of our planet now, Pixxel hopes not just to shape the trajectory of Earth observation but also to help write the next chapter in the story of our shared future."