California-based startup Varda Space Industries has made history by successfully returning samples of the drug made in space.
The company's in-space manufacturing capsule faced months of orbital confinement due to re-entry denial from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
After obtaining the necessary approvals, the re-entry capsule safely landed in the Utah desert at the Utah Test and Training Range on Wednesday, February 21.
Parachutes facilitated the touchdown of the W-1 mission re-entry capsule, which contained the space-grown antiviral drug crystals.
W-1 back on Earth pic.twitter.com/BIJURxRwwS
— Varda Space Industries (@VardaSpace) February 22, 2024
Drug production took place in late June 2023
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket carried the 264-pound (120-kilogram) first-ever mini-space drug facility into orbit on June 12.
The crystallization process for Ritonavir, an HIV treatment drug, took place in late June 2023.
The in-orbit production of drug crystals occurred onboard the conical W-Series 1 satellite, which was affixed to Rocket Lab's orbital Photon platform.
The capsule was originally planned to land in July, but the FAA denied the re-entry permission. The FAA is tasked with ensuring the safety of commercial launch and reentry missions.
After a long wait, approval was finally granted last week.
Shortly afterward, Rocket Lab initiated preparations for the reentry maneuvers of W-1.
Over the past few days, the Photon executed several engine burns, aligning the spacecraft and the W-1 capsule on the proper course for return to Earth.
While the Photon mainly burnt up in the process, the W-1 capsule made it through Earth's atmosphere and landed safely at the UTTR.
The drug crystals will now undergo further evaluation
Microgravity offers a unique setting for the development of small drug crystals.
Drug crystals have the potential to form more efficiently in the absence of gravity compared to Earth.
In microgravity, the impact of gravitational forces on crystal growth is minimized, resulting in purer and more precisely defined crystal structures. This has significant implications for pharmaceutical research and drug development, potentially enhancing drug formulation and effectiveness.
“Processing materials in microgravity, or the near-weightless conditions found in space, offers a unique environment not available through terrestrial processing. These benefits primarily stem from the lack of convection and sedimentation forces, as well as the ability to form more perfect structures due to the absence of gravitational stresses," mentioned Varda's website.
The first such drug-production trial lasted 27 hours and ended on June 30.
Update #6 on Varda's W-1 Mission: pic.twitter.com/BNBqjbRxvX
— Varda Space Industries (@VardaSpace) February 21, 2024
After the successful re-entry, the team will transport the capsule back to the company’s facilities in Los Angeles for post-mission analysis.
"Additionally, data collected throughout the entirety of the capsule's flight — including a portion where we reached hypersonic speeds — will be shared with the Air Force and NASA under a contract Varda has with those agencies," the company mentioned.
This unprecedented mission has not only showcased the feasibility of utilizing Varda's satellite technology for pharmaceutical manufacturing in space but has also opened new avenues for advancements in drug formulation and effectiveness.
Originally published on Interesting Engineering : Original article