SpaceX Veteran Launches First ‘Space Factory’ To Manufacture Outside Of Earth
Image via Varda Space Industries
The general view is that items made from locally-sourced materials and produced locally are superior in quality. However, as space travel becomes more attainable, humans are challenged to change their perceptions and think out of the box… or world.
Varda Space Industries has successfully launched its first satellite, called W-Series 1, into orbit. This capsule is the frontrunner of what would be a fleet of satellites deployed to mass-produce materials in space, making it the first “space factory” ever.
W-Series 1 Satellite has DEPLOYED!! pic.twitter.com/di13aAR1Je
— Varda Space Industries (@VardaSpace) June 12, 2023
The company, founded by former SpaceX avionics engineer Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov of Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, endeavors to manufacture components that are either impossible to make on Earth or can be produced quicker and more effectively in microgravity.
These include “more powerful” fiber optic cables and pharmaceuticals, says the startup.
With W-Series 1, Varda will first assess the feasibility of mass-producing medication outside of Earth.
The world's first space factory is flying great.
— Varda Space Industries (@VardaSpace) June 21, 2023
We're hoping to begin pharmaceutical production next week!
(Photo is from about 45 days ago when we first installed W-Series 1 onto the ESPA ring) pic.twitter.com/oErxIxXWMO
The spacecraft is made up of two main modules. One holds a platform to autonomously manufacture materials, while the other is an economical re-entry capsule to transport the finished products back to Earth.
For its first gig, W-Series 1 will help researchers develop and evaluate an out-of-Earth ritonavir, a drug traditionally administered to HIV patients that’s now more commonly added to Paxlovid, a treatment for COVID-19.
The capsule is scheduled to return home after about a month, traveling down at hypersonic speeds before floating safely via parachute.
[via Freethink and Interesting Engineering, images via Varda]
