Part 9/18:
Varda's initial spacecraft design prioritizes simplicity, functioning as “the cave paintings” of future space factories. Essentially, their capsule comprises a heat shield and basic hardware akin to the Apollo Command Module, meant primarily to demonstrate the core concept of returning payloads from orbit.
The real science lies in space-based crystallization of pharmaceuticals. In microgravity, the formation of drug crystals results in different, often superior, molecules and formulations. Varda’s capsules facilitate this process by melting, mixing, and cooling drug solutions—aiming to create drug crystals with properties unattainable on Earth. These crystals can then be processed into medicines, potentially transforming how pharmaceuticals are developed and administered.