In‑space manufacturing startup focusing on pharmaceuticals and materials.
Overview Varda Space Industries is a U.S. in‑space manufacturing company focused on processing high‑value materials—especially pharmaceuticals—in microgravity and returning them to Earth for commercial use. The company designs and operates its own reentry capsules and on‑orbit processing platforms and maintains facilities in El Segundo, California, with additional presence in Washington, D.C. Platform and Technology • W‑Series platform: Purpose‑built, uncrewed spacecraft and reentry capsules engineered to produce materials in low Earth orbit and deliver them back to designated landing sites. Early missions used an orbital bus partner for power, propulsion, and communications, with Varda’s capsule handling in‑space processing and terrestrial return. • Microgravity drug processing: Varda’s platform targets small‑molecule crystallization and other formulations that benefit from reduced convection and sedimentation in orbit, enabling drug forms and particle characteristics that are difficult to achieve on Earth. Flight History and Milestones • W‑1 (Winnebago‑1): Launched June 2023 on a SpaceX rideshare and operated on a Rocket Lab‑built spacecraft bus. Received an FAA Part 450 reentry license and landed at the Utah Test and Training Range on Feb. 21, 2024. The mission demonstrated pharmaceutical processing by producing and successfully returning a metastable crystal form of the antiviral ritonavir. • W‑2: Completed a six‑week mission and reentered at Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range in South Australia on Feb. 28, 2025—Australia’s first commercial orbital spacecraft return. • W‑3: Launched March 14, 2025 and reentered May 14, 2025 at the Koonibba Test Range. The mission carried a U.S. Air Force hypersonic‑reentry instrumentation payload and provided data for future high‑speed navigation systems. • W‑4 and beyond: Follow‑on missions launched mid‑2025 with additional capsule returns planned in Australia under a multi‑mission agreement intended to support a higher‑cadence return schedule. Customers and Markets Varda works with biopharma companies on microgravity‑enabled drug product development and serves government customers with hypersonic reentry, materials processing, and orbital research missions. The company also supports academic partners and microgravity researchers. Facilities and Footprint Varda builds, integrates, and tests vehicles at its production site in El Segundo, California, and conducts U.S. operations and policy work via an office in Washington, D.C. Landing operations have been executed at the Utah Test and Training Range in the United States and at the Koonibba Test Range operated by Southern Launch in South Australia. Funding Since 2024, Varda has raised significant growth capital to scale its in‑space manufacturing program, including a Series B round in April 2024 and a subsequent round in July 2025 to expand launch cadence, processing capacity, and landing operations. Outlook Varda aims to move in‑space manufacturing from demonstration to routine production. Near‑term goals include higher‑frequency capsule flights, expanded biopharma collaborations, and continued development of landing and recovery operations to support recurring returns from orbit.