Mini-space factory aces first in-orbit experiment of drug production
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California-based startup Varda Space Industries has announced the successful production of a drug in the world's first mini space factory.
“Over the last day, for the first time ever, orbital drug processing happened outside of a government-run space station. Our crystallization of Ritonavir appears to have been nominal. This is our first step in commercializing microgravity and building an industrial park in LEO,” announced the company in a Twitter post.
Such an incredible achievement by the team
— delian (@zebulgar) June 30, 2023
The first mission's primary objective was just to demonstrate the re-entry capsule
Actually doing pharma processing was a huge stretch. Hopefully we get these drugs back on July 17th!
SPACE DRUGS HAVE FINISHED COOKING BABY!! https://t.co/eCdpxDhw8r
The crystallization of Ritonavir occurred in the W-Series 1 satellite — attached to the Rocket Lab's orbital Photon platform.
The company earlier mentioned that this is the first test effort to see whether their satellite solution can be utilized to produce pharmaceuticals in orbital settings.
27-hour-long experiment
The mission lifted off on June 12 and shared a ride on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The drug-making experiment lasted 27 hours and concluded on June 30. In this first-of-its-kind experiment, the mini-lab created crystals of ritonavir, a drug used for the treatment of HIV.
In the absence of gravity, the space environment allows for the faster formation of higher-quality protein crystal structures. The formation of drug crystals could be hampered on Earth under the influence of gravitational forces.
The data downlinked from the satellite confirmed the experiment's success.
“One of the critical parts of pharmaceutical processing is being able to maintain appropriate temperature ranges for extended periods of time. It was exactly per our expectations, which is really great to see,” Delian Asparouhov told Ars Technica.
In 2020, Asparouhov founded the start-up along with former SpaceX engineer Will Bruey and scientist Daniel Marshall.
Retrieval of the drugs
After acing this step, the company is now gearing for re-entry of the capsule carrying the manufactured drugs in the following weeks.
The Rocket Lab mission control team will uplink a command to release the spacecraft tethered to its Photon for re-entry.
The instruction will activate the spacecraft's thrusters, allowing it to exit orbit. Before re-entry, the 200-pound capsule will split from its carrier vehicle. This will allow the capsule to return to the Earth's atmosphere.
Reportedly, the target touch-down is expected in the US military’s Utah Test and Training Range southwest of Salt Lake City.
The samples will then be recovered for additional testing by the team. According to reports, Vardaa and Rocket Lab have already performed a recovery rehearsal to better prepare for the big day.
The two companies are now in talks with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the military to lock the mission’s return date. The FAA oversees the safety of commercial launch and re-entry flights and guarantees that they do not threaten the general public.
The re-entry window opens on July 17, although it may be slightly pushed toward the end of this month.
The start-up Varda has received $53 million in funding from investors and venture capital firms to date.
After this debut test, Varda intends to execute another similar experiment of the orbiting factory later this year.
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