The Rocket Lab team setting up the Varda Space in orbit drug manufacturing spacecraft for re-entry.

And the capsule’s successful recovery.

It took months for the team to land FAA part 450 approval for its landing in Utah but the spacecraft was well positioned to deal with the delays:

Today’s mission is a successful demonstration of Rocket Lab’s end-to-end space systems solutions tailored to enable novel and innovative missions for a range of customers. Rocket Lab designed, manufactured and operated a bespoke spacecraft to enable Varda’s capsule manufacturing demonstration. The spacecraft included a full suite of Rocket Lab sub-systems and components built in-house, spanning spacecraft engine, flight software, avionics, reaction wheels, star trackers, capsule dispenser, solar panels, radio, composite structures and tanks, and more.

While initially designed for a four-month lifespan on orbit, the mission timeline was more than doubled with Rocket Lab’s spacecraft successfully provided power, communications, ground control, and attitude control to Varda’s capsule on orbit for more than eight months. This enabled Varda’s capsule to grow Ritonavir crystals, commonly used in antiviral medication. As particles function differently when no longer under the force of gravity, Varda’s capsule utilizes microgravity conditions in space to formulate a range of pharmaceutical products.

Subsequent missions should be a lot easier to manage and the FAA seems to be getting on board to streamline the process for what looks like the birth of in-orbit manufacturing at scale.