TAMPA, Fla. \u2014 Denver-based Lux Aeterna announced plans Dec. 17 to land its debut reusable satellite at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia, shortly after launching on a SpaceX rideshare mission in early 2027.<\/p>\n
The agreement with Southern Launch also covers what would be the startup\u2019s first reuse mission for its low Earth orbit Delphi spacecraft, slated for 2028.<\/p>\n
\u201cLux Aeterna has undisclosed defense and commercial customers confirmed for its 2027 re-entry mission,\u201d Lux founder and CEO Brian Taylor told SpaceNews.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the 2028 reuse mission, there is strong demand and several ongoing discussions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lux is seeing demand for reusable satellite architecture across defense, intelligence and commercial markets. Targeted applications include short-duration technology demonstrations, hypersonic and materials testing, in-orbit servicing and in-space manufacturing missions.<\/p>\n
The startup has already secured multiple U.S. government partnerships<\/a>, including Cooperative Research and Development Agreements with the U.S. Space Force\u2019s Space Systems Command and the Air Force Research Laboratory, as well as a Space Act Agreement with NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center.<\/p>\n Koonibba spans more than 41,000 square kilometers of sparsely populated land, which Lux said makes it well-suited for spacecraft recovery operations due to its low air traffic and regulatory flexibility.<\/p>\n The site has supported multiple orbital reentries, with microgravity research company Varda Space Industries returning capsules from its W-2 mission in February and its W-3 mission in May. Varda\u2019s W-4 mission is currently in orbit and is scheduled to land at Koonibba before the end of the year, followed by a yet-to-be-launched W-5 mission.<\/p>\n