The world’s first space factory was just deployed – in space
There are certain products that when in made in space are much higher quality than on Earth where gravity affects them.
Key takeaways
- Varda's first mission will focus on researching the in-space development of Ritonavir, a drug traditionally used to treat HIV but more recently used in Paxlovid, an anti-viral medication used to treat Covid-19.
- The company's test rig will travel at a speed of Mach-25 during its reentry to Earth's atmosphere.
- The company announced in March that it had won a $60 million contract from US Air Force STRATFI to use its re-entry vehicle as a hypersonic testbed.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2023) 'The world’s first space factory was just deployed – in space', 311 Institute, 2 July. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/the-worlds-first-space-factory-was-just-deployed-in-space/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
A California-based startup co-founded by a SpaceX veteran, Varda Space Industries, announced it has successfully deployed its first satellite, W-Series 1, in orbit and that the company “aims to kickstart the mass production of materials in space that either can't be produced on Earth or are developed faster and with higher quality in microgravity conditions.”
"The world's first space factory's solar panels have found the sun and it's beginning to de-tumble," Varda announced on Twitter, shortly after the satellite was lifted to orbit aboard SpaceX's Transporter-8 mission on Monday, June 13.
The Future of Space, by keynote Matthew Griffin
The W-Series 1 satellite is housed within one of Rocket Lab's Photon platforms, a satellite solution that NASA has also contracted for two Mars missions next year. Varda's satellite launch is part of the company's test campaign to determine whether its satellite solution can be used to develop pharmaceuticals in space.
The company was founded by ex-SpaceX avionics engineer Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov of Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. Its goal is to enable the mass production of certain products from space. This will be enabled largely by the increased accessibility to space in recent years thanks to private launch service providers such as SpaceX and Rocket Lab.
"From more powerful fiber optic cables to new, life-saving pharmaceuticals, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space," Varda explains on its website.
Varda's work builds on scientific research showing that protein crystals grown in space can form more perfect structures than those produced on Earth, where the formation process is adversely affected by gravity.
One example comes from research carried out by pharmaceutical firm Merck aboard the International Space Station, a report from CNN reveals. That study found that a more stable version of the active ingredient pembrolizumab, used in the cancer drug Keytruda, could be produced in microgravity.
Varda's first mission will focus on researching the in-space development of Ritonavir, a drug traditionally used to treat HIV but more recently used in Paxlovid, an anti-viral medication used to treat Covid-19.
Varda has also separately signed an agreement with the US Air Force to perform hypersonic tests. The company's test rig will travel at a speed of Mach-25 during its reentry to Earth's atmosphere. The company announced in March that it had won a $60 million contract from US Air Force STRATFI to use its re-entry vehicle as a hypersonic testbed.
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There are certain products that when in made in space are much higher quality than on Earth where gravity affects them.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- on Twitter twitter.com
- two Mars missions interestingengineering.com
- its website varda.com
- report from CNN edition.cnn.com
- announced twitter.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 2 July 2023. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2023). The world’s first space factory was just deployed – in space. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/the-worlds-first-space-factory-was-just-deployed-in-space/
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