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In Space Manufacturing

All articles tagged with #in space manufacturing

space23 days ago•3 min saved

TransAstra eyes 100-ton asteroid as a robotic space factory hub

TransAstra is studying the feasibility of moving a 100-ton asteroid into a stable near-Earth orbit to create a robotic outpost for materials processing and manufacturing in space, in a project called New Moon. The effort, with partners including UCF, Purdue, Caltech, and NASA JPL, would identify suitable asteroids, chart trajectories, and deploy spacecraft for rendezvous expected in 2028–2029, followed by hundreds of robotic missions through the 2030s to aggregate up to a million tons of asteroid material for space industrialization. The company has NASA funding for inflatable Capture Bags demonstrated in space and aims to enable in-space resources like metals and water to reduce Earth-launched requirements, advancing a broader asteroid-mining technology base.

via SpaceNews|

#asteroid-capture #asteroid-mining #in-space-manufacturing

technology2 months ago•44 min saved

Space Forge Opens the First Commercial In-Space Chip Factory

Space Forge has started operation of the first commercial semiconductor fabrication facility in space, marking a major milestone in off-Earth manufacturing and signaling potential advances in microgravity chip production, with broader implications for the space economy and advanced electronics.

via Space|

#in-space-manufacturing #semiconductors #space

space2 years ago•3 min saved

"Stunning Video: Private Space Capsule's Hypersonic Return to Earth"

Varda Space's private space capsule, part of the W-1 mission, successfully returned to Earth with space-grown crystals of the antiviral drug Ritonavir. The capsule, designed for in-space manufacturing, captured stunning footage of its reentry, reaching hypersonic speeds before landing in Utah. Varda aims to revolutionize in-space manufacturing by offering an autonomous capsule that serves as both a minifactory and a return vehicle, eliminating the need for human presence in low Earth orbit. The successful mission marks a significant step forward for Varda's ambitions in the nascent in-space manufacturing industry.

via Space.com|

#in-space-manufacturing #private-space-capsule #reentry

space-exploration2 years ago•2 min saved

"Varda's Space Capsule Returns to Earth with Space-Produced Pharmaceuticals Aboard"

Varda Space Industries' W-1 spacecraft successfully landed at the Utah Test and Training Range, capturing stunning reentry footage from separation in low Earth orbit to parachute deploy. The capsule, part of a Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft, was used to test in-space manufacturing technologies, producing ritonavir, an antiviral drug, in microgravity. Varda aims to make LEO more accessible to commercial industries and plans to share reentry data with NASA and the Air Force.

via ScienceAlert|

#in-space-manufacturing #reentry #rocket-lab-photon-spacecraft

space-technology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Varda Space Capsule Makes Historic Return to Earth with Space-Produced Pharmaceuticals"

Varda Space's in-space manufacturing capsule, containing crystals of the anti-viral medication Ritonavir grown in orbit, successfully returned to Earth, marking the third private company to recover an intact spacecraft from orbit. The capsule, which spent over seven months in space, will undergo post-mission analysis, and the drug will be studied in a pharmaceutical lab. Varda plans to pioneer the use of orbital manufacturing spacecraft to open unique pathways for engineering materials in space, leveraging the microgravity environment for material processing.

via Space.com|

#capsule-recovery #in-space-manufacturing #microgravity

space2 years ago•2 min saved

Successful In-Space Manufacturing Startup Conducts Groundbreaking Pharmaceutical Experiment in Orbit

California-based startup Varda Space Industries has successfully conducted its first space mission, growing crystals of the drug ritonavir in orbit. The miniature lab, launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, completed a 27-hour drug-manufacturing experiment and is now on track for a first-of-its-kind re-entry and landing in Utah. Varda aims to commercialize microgravity and build an industrial park in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The spacecraft, part of Varda's Winnebago series, will bring pharmaceutical research specimens back to Earth for analysis and eventual commercial use. The re-entry capsule will be protected by an ablative carbon-based heat shield material developed by NASA. The mission's return to Earth is scheduled for later this month.

via Ars Technica|

#in-space-manufacturing #low-earth-orbit #pharmaceutical-research