Related Coverage
PSLV failed. KID didn't.
Orig: European Capsule Demonstrator Survives Launch Failure
European Spaceflight covers the KID anomaly mission outcome. The capsule separated from the failing PSLV, survived reentry, and transmitted 190 seconds of data. Orbital Paradigm now moves ahead to a larger 150 kg demonstrator launching in early 2027.
Everyone else died on launch — this Spanish reentry pod kept transmitting
Orig: Orbital Paradigm Emerges as the Lone Survivor of Failed PSLV Launch
Exclusive: Orbital Paradigm's KID capsule survived PSLV-C62's third-stage failure on January 12, 2026, transmitting 190 seconds of reentry data. CEO Cacciatore describes recovering the data feed mid-livestream. Four of five mission milestones achieved despite off-nominal profile.
A Madrid startup just built a reentry capsule for under €1M — and it's already sold out
Orig: Orbital Paradigm readies first reentry mission
Orbital Paradigm announces its KID subscale demonstrator for a late 2025 launch. The 25 kg capsule will fly with payloads from Alatyr (France), Leibniz University Hannover, and a third undisclosed customer. CNES is the anchor customer for Kestrel missions.
European engineers are building a $1M reentry pod that makes SpaceX's Dragon look overkill
Orig: Madrid's Orbital Paradigm aims to prove a cheaper path to orbital reentry
TechCrunch profiles Orbital Paradigm's lean approach: nine-person team, sub-€1M KID demonstrator, ceramic tile heat shield, and a market positioning as a pure transport company vs. Varda's vertically integrated biotech model.