Rocket Lab USA, Inc. announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the reentry of Varda Space Industries' in-space manufacturing capsule, enabling Rocket Lab to commence a series of complex in-space maneuvers and de-orbit burns on the Rocket Lab-built and operated satellite currently hosting the capsule on orbit. This is the first time the FAA has granted a Part 450 reentry license and also the first time the Department of Defense has worked with a commercial space company to allow reentry of this kind of mission on a government-owned range. Varda's capsule is targeted for reentry and landing in the Utah Desert.

In the coming days, Rocket Lab will conduct a series of maneuvers to bring the capsule, named Winnebago-1, back to Earth. This mission is the first of four which will use identical Rocket Lab spacecraft to support Varda's in-space manufacturing. The second spacecraft has completed assembly, integration, and testing at Rocket Lab's spacecraft production facility in Long Beach, California, and is scheduled to launch in the coming months.

For live updates throughout the reentry process, follow Rocket Lab and Varda on X.