--- title: "Startup Still Attempting to Smuggle Orbital Drug Factory Back to Earth" description: "Varda Space Industries' orbital drug manufacturing spacecraft is still stuck in orbit. But it may have found a future fix." date: "2023-10-24" modified: "2023-10-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/startup-orbital-drug-factory-back-earth" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "drug manufacturing" - "orbital manufacturing" - "varda" --- # Startup Still Attempting to Smuggle Orbital Drug Factory Back to Earth ![Varda Space Industries' orbital drug manufacturing spacecraft is still stuck in orbit. But it may have found a future fix.]() *\Image: Varda Space Industries\* Last month, the US Air Force [denied a request]() from a space drugs manufacturing startup to have its precious cargo, a spacecraft that has been growing crystals of an HIV drug in orbit since June, to land at a Utah training facility. Varda Space Industries' application for a commercial space license was also denied by the Federal Aviation Administration, leaving the company in a unique — and incredibly awkward — position. And as of right now, the spacecraft is still stuck, orbiting the planet as Varda tries to figure out how to get it back Earthside. "As an update, our spacecraft is still healthy across all systems," the company [announced]() last week. "We continue to work with \[Utah Test and Training Range\] as a possible landing site for Mission 1 and are thankful for the engagement between our teams." The company has been developing a novel way to use the microgravity of space to produce crystals of the HIV drug ritonavir. According to NASA, this kind of approach can result in [larger and more uniform]() crystals compared to Earthly manufacturing processes. But getting these crystals back to the ground is proving more difficult than expected. Fortunately, Varda's capsule is designed to survive in orbit for an entire year, technically giving the company until next June to recover its stranded loot. While it may sound like producing drug crystals in space could've raised eyebrows among regulators, the reason for the US government's rejection of having Varda's capsule reenter the atmosphere appears to be far more mundane: missed deadlines, complex regulatory approval processes, and a huge pile of red tape. In a [statement to *TechCrunch*]() last month, the Air Force cited concerns over "overall safety, risk and impact analysis" as its reason to deny the company's request to use the Utah range. "All organizations continue working to explore recovery options," the Air Force added in its statement. The company also failed to "demonstrate compliance with the regulatory requirements," according to the FAA, leading to the regulator rejecting Varda's application in early September. While the current capsule is still technically stranded in outer space, the company may have found a possible solution for its future missions: it's [signed an agreement]() with an Australia-based end-to-end launch service provider called Southern Launch to have future missions land at the company's Kooniba Test Range in South Australia. **More on Varda:** *[US Government Won't Let Space Drugs Factory Come Back to Earth]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()