Tag: Varda
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Could this be the moment that drug manufacturing takes off in orbit?
NASA has enabled scientists to study the impact of microgravity on drug development for decades, beginning with the Space Shuttle. This work accelerated in the 2010s, with the completion of the International Space Station and full-time crew members devoted to scientific research. There have been some notable successes during this timeframe, such as the ability…
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Varda Signs Pharma Deal for Orbital Drug Manufacturing
What pharma giant just signed with Varda for orbital manufacturing? Varda Space Industries has secured a partnership with a major U.S. pharmaceutical company to manufacture drugs in microgravity, marking the first commercial-scale orbital drug production deal. The agreement leverages Varda’s automated manufacturing capsules to produce pharmaceutical compounds that benefit from space’s unique environment, particularly protein…
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Varda lands third capsule with hypersonic flight data
Varda Space Industries has successfully recovered its third reentry capsule, marking a critical milestone for both commercial in-space manufacturing and defense applications. The W-3 mission capsule landed May 8, 2026, carrying hypersonic flight test data that could accelerate development of next-generation defense systems. The recovery validates Varda’s manufacturing-to-Earth return capability at 120 kg payload capacity…
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Varda Gears Up for Fifth Reentry Mission, Managing Two Spacecraft in Orbit for the First Time
Varda Space Industries is preparing for its fifth reentry mission, marking the first time the company will operate two spacecraft simultaneously in orbit. The mission is scheduled to launch aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-15 rideshare, joining the firm’s existing W-4 spacecraft already circling Earth. The California-based startup is ramping up operations to increase its launch cadence, with…
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Varda’s drug-cooking Winnebago will be remembered as a space pioneer
Varda Space Industries is finally able to celebrate. For nearly eight months, the in-space manufacturing company’s first mission was essentially stranded in low-Earth orbit, but not because of any technical malfunction or a restriction imposed by the laws of physics. Instead, the spacecraft couldn’t return to Earth until Varda and three government entities—the US military,…
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Varda looks to Australia after delays in obtaining US reentry approval
Varda Space Industries says it has reached an agreement with a private range operator in Australia for spacecraft landings as early as next year after the US government declined to grant approval for the reentry of Varda’s first experimental mission carrying pharmaceuticals manufactured in orbit. After years of applications, reviews, and discussion, the Federal Aviation…
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Permission denied for reentry of Varda’s orbiting experiment capsule
A first-of-its-kind commercial spacecraft owned by an in-space manufacturing startup called Varda Space Industries has been in orbit two months longer than originally planned, waiting for government approval to return to Earth with a cache of pharmaceutical specimens. Varda’s satellite launched on June 12 for what was originally supposed to be a monthlong mission to…
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In-space manufacturing startup aces pharma experiment in orbit
The co-founder of California-based startup Varda Space Industries says his company’s first space mission—a miniature lab that has grown crystals of the drug ritonavir in orbit—is on track to end in the coming weeks with a first-of-its-kind re-entry and landing in Utah. Varda’s spacecraft launched June 12 as part of a rideshare mission on a…