Varda Space Industries recently released an incredible footage that provides space fans with a first-person view of a space capsule’s return trip to Earth.

The video captures the moment when the capsule separates from its carrier satellite in orbit, through its fiery reentry, and bumpy arrival on the surface.

The W-1 capsule, built by Varda, landed at the Utah Test and Training Range, a military site, on February 21. This was a first for a commercial company.

The capsule spent around eight months in low Earth orbit, stuck in regulatory limbo as the company waited for the government approvals it needed to land on US soil, according to Ars Technica.

“Here’s a video of our capsule ripping through the atmosphere at Mach 25, no renders, raw footage,” the company posted on X, formerly Twitter, alongside clips from reentry.

Varda, in collaboration with Rocket Lab, aims to create mini labs capable of producing pharmaceuticals in orbit, specifically the HIV drug ritonavir.

Rocket Lab’s W-1 capsule was connected to the Photon satellite “bus”, which provided power, communications, and altitude control for the capsule before launch.

Photon successfully transported the capsule for reentry, but it burned up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Now, Indiana-based pharmaceutical company, Improved Pharma will analyse the ritonavir crystals grown in orbit, which were successfully brought to Earth, Engadget reported citing Ars Technica.