An in-space manufacturing startup’s spacecraft is awkwardly orbiting Earth after being denied reentry by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Though the experiment capsule completed its assignment in July, its owner, Varda Space Industries, has struggled to get the license necessary to bring it back home.
W-Series 1 hitched a ride to space aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-8 earlier this summer. The point was to grow crystals of ritonavir, a drug used to treat HIV, in space, where gravity can’t impact the formation process. The capsule completed its assignment at the end of June, prompting mission teams to pivot toward bringing W-Series 1 back through Earth’s atmosphere. Although its host spacecraft would burn upon reentry, the heat-protected capsule would ideally survive the return, using a parachute to drift into one of seven potential landing locations. Varda initially expected this to occur in July, but the FAA was still reviewing its reentry license, requiring it to delay W-Series 1’s return.
The FAA doles out commercial launch and reentry licenses through its Office of Commercial Space Operations. Due to the sharp increase in commercial space activity, the division has been forced to focus mainly on launch licenses, which verify the launch vehicle, payload, and environmental safety, among other things. This means fewer resources have been allocated to reentry application review.
But that isn’t why Varda’s capsule is still circling Earth. According to TechCrunch, the FAA denied Varda’s request to land W-Series 1 in an open training area in Utah, forcing W-Series 1 to remain in orbit. The US Air Force, which is partly responsible for verifying the safety of a reentry request, confirmed the FAA’s denial with TechCrunch separately.
“Sept. 5 and 7 were their primary targets,” a USAF spokesperson said. “The request to use the Utah Test and Training Range for the landing location was not granted at this time due to the overall safety, risk, and impact analysis. In a separate process, the FAA has not granted a reentry license. All organizations continue working to explore recovery options.”
Varda reassured the public via X that its spacecraft is “healthy across all systems” and is looking forward to collaborating with government partners to bring W-Series 1 back to Earth as soon as possible.
