Varda expands orbital trials of drug manufacturing in microgravity

Varda Space Industries has three capsules orbiting Earth simultaneously for the first time, with one growing crystals of a potential cancer drug about 300 miles above the surface. The other two are testing heat protection materials and navigation systems for atmospheric re-entry. The California company launched two spacecraft on 1 October and a third on 20 October.

Its autonomous laboratories process materials without astronauts before capsules return them to Earth. Varda has already recovered several capsules and plans seven more missions in 2027 and 10 in 2028. Researchers say microgravity can improve crystal growth by reducing settling and density-driven currents, but manufacturers still need to establish repeatable results and show that orbital production justifies its cost.

Drug crystal size, shape and arrangement can influence dissolution, stability and delivery, making orbital experiments relevant to medicine formulation. The article describes the possibility of replacing some intravenous infusions with injections, not a demonstrated outcome from Varda’s current trial. It reports no clinical results for the potential cancer drug aboard the capsule.