Varda Explores Australian Options Amid US Reentry Delays

Varda Space Industries, a California-based startup specializing in pharmaceutical research and manufacturing in space, has secured an agreement with a private range operator in Australia for spacecraft landings after being denied reentry approval by the US government. The company's first experimental mission, carrying pharmaceuticals manufactured in orbit, was not granted permission to land at a military test range in Utah. Varda is now exploring other options for future missions and plans to conduct reentry operations in Australia as early as mid-2024. The company aims to launch regular missions into low-Earth orbit for pharmaceutical research experiments and manufacturing.