This project, implemented by Varda Space Industries, represents an innovative approach to the creation of drugs, especially HIV treatment.
But despite the successful completion of the manufacturing process, the products never made it back to Earth – American officials from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not allow the capsule to be lowered.
The challenges the company faced stemmed from the uniqueness of the mission. Unlike traditional spacecraft, which burn up in the atmosphere after completing a mission, the lander containing the drug was supposed to land softly on Earth.
A place was chosen for this at a testing site in Utah, but the US bureaucratic machine stood in the way of the implementation of this plan.
The problem is that to get permission to land and service the space station, the company must interact with three departments and two separate divisions at the FAA, each of which needs its own documentation and calculations.
Additionally, maintaining communications with the space facility requires approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which requires additional effort.
There is currently hope that the capsule containing the drug could land in January 2024, but the situation remains unclear.
The company is considering moving its operations to Australia, where the process could be less bureaucratic.
Source: Ferra
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