"Varda's Drug Spacecraft Receives FAA Approval to Return After 8 Months in Orbit"

Varda, a space startup, has received FAA approval to bring back its first spacecraft, which has been stuck in orbit for 8 months after manufacturing drugs in space. The W-1 capsule will attempt to land in Utah on Feb. 21 as a demonstration of Varda's automated in-space manufacturing process, aiming to launch and return space-made products more quickly, such as fiber optic cables and pharmaceuticals, using Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft as the backbone of its operation.