"Varda Space's Breakthrough: Manufacturing HIV Medicine in Earth Orbit"
Varda Space Industries successfully returned its W-1 capsule from space, carrying the HIV/AIDS medication ritonavir, which was processed in microgravity. The mission aimed to test the feasibility of manufacturing pharmaceuticals in space, with the space-processed ritonavir surviving reentry and providing crucial data on the effects of spaceflight on pharmaceutical production. Varda Space hopes to inspire the viability of space-processed pharmaceuticals and enable cost-effective access to next-generation therapeutics.