A California-based startup, Varda Space Industries, co-founded by a SpaceX veteran, made an exciting announcement as it successfully deployed its inaugural satellite, W-Series 1, into orbit. The company’s mission revolves around kickstarting the mass production of materials in space, either those impossible to manufacture on Earth or those that can be developed faster and with superior quality in microgravity conditions.
Excitement filled the air as Varda tweeted, “The world’s first space factory’s solar panels have found the sun, and it’s beginning to de-tumble,” shortly after the satellite was launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-8 mission on Monday, June 13.
The W-Series 1 satellite is situated within Rocket Lab’s Photon platform, a satellite solution also contracted by NASA for two upcoming Mars missions. Varda’s satellite launch is a crucial step in the company’s testing campaign to determine the feasibility of leveraging its satellite solution for pharmaceutical development in space.
The company was established by Will Bruey, a former SpaceX avionics engineer, and Delian Asparouhov from Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. Varda’s primary objective is to enable the mass production of specific products in space. This goal has become increasingly achievable with the rise of private launch service providers like SpaceX and Rocket Lab, which have significantly enhanced accessibility to space in recent years.
Varda’s website explains, “From more powerful fiber optic cables to new, life-saving pharmaceuticals, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space.”
The foundation of Varda’s work lies in scientific research demonstrating that protein crystals grown in space exhibit more flawless structures compared to those formed on Earth, where gravity adversely affects the formation process.
CNN reports on a study conducted by pharmaceutical company Merck aboard the International Space Station, which found that a more stable version of the active ingredient pembrolizumab, used in the cancer drug Keytruda, could be produced in microgravity.
In its maiden mission, Varda will concentrate on researching the in-space development of ritonavir, a drug traditionally employed in HIV treatment but more recently utilized in Paxlovid, an antiviral medication for combating Covid-19.
Additionally, Varda has secured an agreement with the U.S. Air Force to conduct hypersonic tests. The company’s test rig will travel at an incredible speed of Mach-25 during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. In March, Varda proudly announced winning a $60 million contract from the U.S. Air Force STRATFI to utilize its re-entry vehicle as a hypersonic testbed.
By Impact Lab
