U.S. Air Force Conducts OSPREE Experiment with Varda Space's W-2 Vehicle for In Situ Spectroscopy Data

On February 28, 2025, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory conducted the OSPREE experiment using Varda Space Industries' W-2 hypersonic vehicle, capturing optical emission spectroscopy data during atmospheric reentry from 105 km to 50 km.

The experiment recorded spectral emissions at Mach numbers ranging from 29.5 to 15.0, revealing significant insights into shock-layer thermochemistry and interactions with the vehicle's thermal protection system. Key emissions from molecules such as CN, C2, and CH were analyzed, providing thermometric measurements essential for fluid dynamics modeling.

This experiment represents the first in situ measurements of high-enthalpy reentry shock layers, contributing valuable data to the hypersonics field. The research was supported by U.S. Air Force grants, with a focus on enhancing modeling and simulation capabilities for reentry systems.