Varda capsule landing
Varda Space Industries completed its first mission by landing its capsule in Utah Feb. 21, returning pharmaceuticals produced in microgravity. Credit: Varda Space Industries/John Kraus

WASHINGTON — Varda Space Industries secured a $48 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to test military payloads on the company’s reentry capsules. 

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Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...