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Space
Space
Science
Stefanie Waldek

'Them space drugs cooked real good:' Varda Space just made an HIV medicine in Earth orbit

View from on board a small space capsule showing sparks flying as it reenters earth's atmosphere.

On Feb. 21, after some seven months in space, Varda Space Industries' W-1 capsule successfully returned to Earth, carrying with it a unique payload: the HIV/AIDS medication ritonavir. 

Varda Space seeks to autonomously manufacture pharmaceuticals in microgravity, a strategy that could ultimately reduce the cost of life-saving drugs — and, according to a new preprint paper, the company is one step closer to achieving that goal.

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