Capsule Returns from Space Carrying Antiviral Drugs Grown in Microgravity Environment
On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, a remarkable event took place as a capsule descended from space and landed at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). This capsule was no ordinary space debris; it was the result of the W-1 mission by Varda Space Industries, a California-based orbital platform manufacturer. What made this mission even more intriguing was its payload – antiviral drugs that were grown in the microgravity environment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Varda Space Industries, founded in 2020 by former SpaceX employees and Silicon Valley venture capitalists, is part of the rapidly growing NewSpace industry. This industry is capitalizing on the decreasing costs of sending payloads to space, making it more accessible for commercial purposes. Varda’s vision is to develop pharmaceuticals and other products in space and bring them back to Earth using their proprietary reentry capsules.
Traditionally, conducting research in microgravity was limited to astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). However, with the advent of reusable rockets and rideshare programs, the accessibility to microgravity experiments has expanded. Various industries, including biomedical research, advanced materials research, and manufacturing, are now looking to leverage this opportunity.
According to Varda, conducting drug processing in microgravity has significant benefits. The absence of gravitational stresses alters buoyancy, natural convection, sedimentation, and phase separation. This alteration has the potential to produce high-quality drugs with improved crystalline structures, leading to enhanced shelf life and effectiveness.
Varda CEO Will Bruey explained the concept further during an interview with Marketplace last year. He compared gravity to a parameter that can be manipulated to create new chemical processes for drug formulations. Just as changing the temperature knob on an oven opens up a world of new recipes, altering gravity can revolutionize pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The W-1 capsule embarked on its journey in June 2023, riding atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-8 mission. For the next eight months, it was integrated with a Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft, which provided power, propulsion, and navigation capabilities. During this time, the capsule’s primary focus was the development of Ritonavir, an antiviral medication used to treat HIV and hepatitis C.
The successful completion of the mission was hailed as a remarkable achievement by Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck. He commended the collaboration between Rocket Lab and Varda teams, which resulted in the creation of a unique and highly capable spacecraft. The mission not only demonstrated in-space manufacturing but also brought back the capsule and finished pharmaceutical product on its first attempt.
Now that the capsule has safely returned to Earth, Varda will transport it back to their facilities in Los Angeles for post-mission analysis. Simultaneously, the Ritonavir drug will be shipped to their commercial partner for further evaluation.
Varda is already preparing for its second launch, scheduled for this summer. Once again, they will rely on a Photon spacecraft to carry their payload. The Ritonavir vials onboard the spacecraft will be sent to Improved Pharma, Varda’s collaborators, for post-flight characterization. Additionally, Varda has a contract with the Air Force and NASA to share the data collected during the capsule’s flight, including the portion where hypersonic speeds were reached.
The successful return of the W-1 capsule marks a significant milestone for Varda Space Industries and the NewSpace industry as a whole. It showcases the potential of conducting research and manufacturing in microgravity environments, opening up new possibilities for drug development and other industries. As Varda continues its mission to make LEO more accessible, we can expect further groundbreaking achievements in the near future.
This article was originally published by Universe Today.
