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Orbital Paradigm’s KID capsule survived an off-nominal mission after a launch anomaly and transmitted flight data during atmospheric reentry.
Orbital Paradigm continues development under ESA’s Prepare for Space programme.
Orbital Paradigm develops autonomous reentry vehicles that can return payloads from orbit to Earth.
Orbital Paradigm conducted the first flight of its KID capsule, or Kestrel Initial Demonstrator, earlier in 2025.
Orbital Paradigm developed the KID capsule with a small team in about one year.
Orbital Paradigm’s KID reentry vehicle survived long enough to transmit valuable data despite ISRO’s PSLV failing during launch.
Orbital Paradigm built the KID vehicle in one year with fewer than 10 engineers and a budget under one million euros.
KID achieved four of the five technological challenges that Orbital Paradigm set for the demonstrator.
Orbital Paradigm expected KID to experience 14 g during the flight.
Orbital Paradigm’s data indicate the KID demonstrator experienced external temperatures of 300–350º and internal temperatures of 85º.
Orbital Paradigm will focus on the Learn to Fly mission next year, which will include full recovery capabilities and carry commercial customers.
Orbital Paradigm’s sensors saturated at a maximum reading of 30 g during the flight.
Orbital Paradigm designed the vehicle KID, also known as Kestrel Initial Demonstrator.
Orbital Paradigm considers the reentry data from KID sufficiently complete to forgo a second KID mission.
Orbital Paradigm estimates that KID survived an acceleration probably exceeding 35 g, about 2.5 times the original expectation.
Orbital Paradigm’s KID endured forces beyond its design limits, returned partial telemetry, and initial analysis indicates four of five planned mission milestones were achieved, but customer data could not be delivered and the company did not declare the mission a success.
KID is a 25-kilogram, football-sized reentry capsule developed by Spanish startup Orbital Paradigm.
Orbital Paradigm’s Kestrel Initial Demonstrator (KID) transmitted flight data for 190 seconds despite the PSLV-C62 third-stage anomaly.
Orbital Paradigm’s KID capsule launched on the PSLV mission.
Orbital Paradigm plans to move forward with a larger, more advanced demonstrator that it expects to launch in early 2027.