I have not found any recent update about the final fate of the Phoenix reentry demo. Any information about that one ?
PHOENIX was deployed using Exolaunch's flight-proven CarboNIX 24” separation system, which enabled a precise separation maneuver into a tailored mid-inclination orbit. The mission is ATMOS's first demonstration flight under a regulatory framework that authorizes commercial reentry activities, approved by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and coordinated with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.[...]Following a planned Falcon 9 de-orbit burn and successful deployment, PHOENIX 1 successfully switched on, initiated transmission of critical system and payload data to ground stations across South America. ATMOS confirms the initial inflation of its inflatable heat shield, a key mission objective of its demonstration campaign, which is focused on generating first flight data including commercial payloads reentry dynamics and telemetry. Due to a recent change in the re-entry trajectory, recovery was not conducted. ATMOS' next capsule generation, PHOENIX 2, will carry its own propulsion system – enabling flexible mission times and precise landing for swift recovery – an essential step toward scaling reusable orbital logistics for space stations, in-orbit manufacturing, and biological return missions.
Launch & De-Orbit ManeuverPHOENIX 1 launched into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida at 20:48 local time, as part of the Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission.Following injection into a 45° inclination orbit, the capsule completed one full orbit. A planned de-orbit burn by the Falcon 9 upper stage over Los Angeles, California, then placed PHOENIX 1 on its return trajectory.Re-entry & Data RecoveryFollowing upper stage separation, PHOENIX 1 began its return trajectory, transmitting critical system and payload data to ground stations the ATMOS ground segment team set up across South America.As planned, the capsule performed initial inflation of its heat shield before entering Earth’s atmosphere at the Entry Interface Point (EIP) approximately two hours post-launch south-east of the Brazilian coast.Due to a trajectory update and extended splashdown distance (~2,000 km off the coast), recovery was not planned – effected by the increased distance from available marine infrastructure.[...]Although data from the final stage of descent could not be retrieved, the data sent by PHOENIX and received by our recently set up ground stations completes significant learnings from conducting a test mission with a flight-ready prototype at an early stage adding to the list of instrumental objectives.ATMOS will share further mission details upon completion of data analysis.
