2023-06-20 14:41:12
The industrialization of space is taking a step forward. Thanks to SpaceX, Varda Space has just deployed its first space factory to manufacture drugs. The time has now come to test the viability of the project.
A factory in space is an idea that seems straight out of a science fiction film. And yet. Varda Space, a start-up founded by SpaceX alumni, has just deployed its first space laboratory, thanks to the help… of SpaceX. The idea is simple: Varda Space hopes to take advantage of environmental conditions to manufacture drugs more efficiently.
Eliminate Earth Constraints
Placed in orbit around the Earth, the laboratory benefits from a microgravity environment. In other words, its location allows it to eliminate one of the main terrestrial constraints. Indeed, the absence of gravity also means the disappearance of certain phenomena, such as convection currents. This represents a significant advantage in certain manufacturing processes.
For example, on Earth, the particles present in a liquid tend to agglomerate, sink or rise towards the surface. In space, all this disappears and the particles in question are content to float in the liquid. Practical, right?
Put together, the various advantages of microgravity grant “better bioavailability and extended shelf life”, according to Varda Space. In addition, weightlessness allows the laboratory to manufacture drugs “with extraordinary precision”. Add to this the automation of the capsule and its ability to produce expensive active ingredients in large numbers, and you have a project whose benefits are difficult to quantify.
The moment of truth
Now that this mini-laboratory is in orbit, Varda Space has a month to perform as many tests as possible. As indicated Not Boring, the first step is to check the equipment of the capsule. If all the lights are green, the station will launch a series of tests on an old AIDS drug, Ritonavir. Concretely, Varda Space will examine the differences in the molecular structure of the drug by heating and cooling it.
Once the finish line is crossed, the capsule will descend back to Earth. During its fall, the mini-satellite should reach a hypersonic speed greater than Mach 25. That is, 31,000 km/h. Far from worrying regarding the integrity of the device, Varda Space saw it as an opportunity to line their pockets.
Eh yes. Against the modest sum of 60 million dollars, the start-up will conduct experiments on hypersonic flight on behalf of the US Air Force. The capsule allowing the government to conduct its tests in an environment much more suitable than its current infrastructures. This space factory still has to survive its entry into the atmosphere, especially with sensitive chemicals.
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