Varda Space Industries finally gets approval to bring its drug manufacturing spacecraft back to Earth

Date:

Share post:


Varda Space Industries has received long-awaited approval from regulators to return its first spacecraft to Earth — and with it, a batch of pharmaceutical crystals manufactured on orbit.

Varda’s Winnebago capsule has been stuck in limbo for months. The company launched the spacecraft on a SpaceX Transporter mission eight months ago, with the plan to return it back to Earth last July. But Varda had been unable to secure the requisite regulatory authorizations to make a landing attempt, leaving the spacecraft stuck in orbit while the company worked with regulators to bring it home.

With this approval, Varda is now targeting a landing attempt at the Air Force’s Utah Test and Training Range on February 21. The capsule contains crystals of the drug Ritonavir, which is used to treat HIV/AIDS, that were manufactured on orbit. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft, which has housed Varda’s manufacturing capsule on orbit, will burn up in the atmosphere upon reentry.

“We are incredibly proud to have this opportunity with our government partners, and appreciate their dedication to safe innovation in the United States,” Varda said in a statement.

In that same statement, the El Segundo-based startup notes that it was the first to seek permission to reenter a spacecraft under a new set of FAA regulations known as Part 450. It’s also the first time the FAA has licensed a commercial company to land a spacecraft on U.S. soil. (SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is permitted to land in the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico.)

Varda is one of a handful of startups looking to exploit the benefits of microgravity for manufacturing materials like pharmaceuticals. The company is aiming to bring spacecraft containing manufactured materials back to Earth up to monthly by 2026. For its next mission, which has yet to launch, Varda said it would land its second spacecraft in Australia’s Koonibba Test Range this year.



Source link

Lisa Holden
Lisa Holden
Lisa Holden is a news writer for LinkDaddy News. She writes health, sport, tech, and more. Some of her favorite topics include the latest trends in fitness and wellness, the best ways to use technology to improve your life, and the latest developments in medical research.

Recent posts

Related articles

Google I/O 2024: Everything announced so far

It’s that moment you’ve been waiting for all year: Google I/O keynote day! Google kicks off its...

Google Photos introduces an AI search feature, ‘Ask Photos’

Google Photos is getting an AI infusion with the launch of an experimental feature, Ask Photos, powered...

On Elon’s whim, X now treats ‘cisgender’ as a slur

If you write the words “cis” or “cisgender” on X, you might be served this full-screen message:...

Meta’s Oversight Board overturns takedown decision for Pakistan child abuse documentary

Meta’s external advisory group, the Oversight Board, has overturned the social media company’s decision to take down...

AWS CEO Adam Selipsky steps down

Adam Selipsky is stepping down from his role as CEO of AWS, Amazon has confirmed to TechCrunch.  In...

After surpassing $100M in ARR, Harness Labs grabs a $150M line of credit

Harness Lab isn’t founder Jyoti Bansal’s first startup. He sold AppDynamics to Cisco for $3.7 billion in...

David Sacks reveals Glue, the AI company he’s been teasing on his All In podcast

If you use Slack at work, you’ve likely noticed that the number of channels you’re invited to...

Waymo’s robotaxis under investigation after crashes and traffic mishaps

Waymo’s autonomous vehicle software is under investigation after federal regulators received 22 reports of the robotaxis crashing...