RedOrbit By: Heidi 10/16/2021
Varda Space has tapped SpaceX for the launch of a small satellite designed to demonstrate the production of materials in space. The satellite will be part of a rideshare mission slated for early 2023.
The satellite will spend up to three months in space and produce a variety of materials commonly used in manufacturing. The materials will be returned in a reentry capsule for testing.
Manufacturing In SpaceVarda Space’s satellite will be the first in a series that continues work in developing the technology and techniques needed to expand manufacturing into space. Two more satellites will be launched in 2024. Asparouhov says that the goal is to build on work that has already been done rather than reinvent the wheel:
Will this lead to widescale manufacturing off Earth? Many people, including the founders of the now-defunct Deep Space Industries and a few “still working on it” companies like Moon Express, have done work on the possibility of mining raw materials off Earth. It would make sense for much of these raw materials to be processed and used to create products off Earth, as well. At some point in the future, companies like Varda Space could have numerous factories in Earth orbit and possibly elsewhere in our solar system.
More:
https://www.redorbit.com/spacex-to-launch-manufacturing-satellite-for-varda-space/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W87QOhgXE3A&t=3shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUj1-cPaFgo&t=87s
