Part 12/18:
While pharmaceuticals are at the forefront, Varda recognizes the vast potential for microgravity to revolutionize other manufacturing processes: silicon wafers, fiber optics, and advanced materials all depend on crystal growth and can benefit from the unique conditions of space.
The primary limitation is economic: the cost to launch and return materials must be sufficiently low for these applications to be viable. Currently, drugs are the most promising because they are both high-value and highly sensitive to crystallization quality. If launch costs decline further—imagine a $10-per-pound space shipping—manufacturing in space for semiconductors, fiber optics, and high-precision components could become commonplace, unfolding a new industrial paradigm.