Rocket Lab Just Helped Launch A Space Factory
Only days ago on the 12th, SpaceX launched another Falcon 9 rideshare mission. This one was very special however because it was carrying a space factory from Varda, supported by a host of Rocket Lab technology. This was the first of four missions Rocket Lab is apart of and so far the results are very promising.
Specifically, Rocket Lab will produce four Photon spacecraft for in-space manufacturing company Varda Space Industries that will integrate with Varda’s space factories, enabling high-value products to be manufactured in space and returned to Earth in a re-entry capsule. With the first already in orbit, we can expect some actual results in the coming weeks.
What’s most interesting is how much unique technology Rocket Lab provided. It proves that the company is far more than just a launch provider, but also a key supplier of software, reaction wheels, separation systems, spacecraft buses, etc. Here I will go more in-depth into the recent launch, how Rocket Lab facilitated this mission, what to expect in the coming months, and more.
Factory In Orbit
On the 13th, Rocket Lab tweeted saying, “One down, three more to go! The team is hard at work on our 2nd spacecraft for the next @VardaSpace space factory mission. From tech demos, Moon missions, and now in-space manufacturing: our spacecraft are enabling innovation in space.” The first mission was not launched by Rocket Lab but instead by SpaceX on a Falcon 9 apart of the Transporter 8 launch.
While Electron wasn’t used, Photon was along with many other important components. Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck was quoted saying, “We built the solar panels, we build the structure, we built the propulsion system, we have all the software that we build, the reaction wheels, the startrackers, the separation systems we built. So all of these things normally you would aggregate from various suppliers but we have such a wide and diverse satellite component business internally that we are able to pull these things together really really quickly and build these spacecraft at a pace and cost that is unmatched.
With the factory now in space supported by Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft, it has a lot of work ahead of it. Varda’s space-manufactured products are targeted at high-value markets such as fiber optic cables, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors — all of which have higher performance when produced in zero-gravity. After launch, Rocket Lab’s Photon will position the spacecraft in an operational orbit and provide station keeping. Photon will support Varda’s 120 kg manufacturing and re-entry modules with power, data, and attitude control. Rocket Lab’s Photon will perform multiple burns with the 3D-printed Curie engine, acting as a highly capable propulsion system to place Varda’s re-entry capsule on a return trajectory to Earth.
Traditionally, almost all in-space manufacturing research has been carried out on the International Space Station. This research has demonstrated that innovative materials and products can be created in the consistent microgravity environment of low-Earth orbit, an environment that can’t be replicated on Earth. Until now, manufacturing in orbit has been impossible to scale due to cost. Building a space factory with a proven, Photon spacecraft — one that doesn’t require human tending in orbit — will allow Varda to make building products in space at scale a reality for the first time.
“Opening access to space is about much more than launch for Rocket Lab. It’s about making it easier to put the ideas of tomorrow in orbit today, enabling innovation, rapid iteration, and new capabilities that will improve lives back on Earth. This is exactly what the team at Varda is doing by producing novel pharmaceuticals in orbit and we’re immensely proud to make that possible with our Photon spacecraft,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “Space Systems is a rapidly growing part of Rocket Lab’s business, and we’re delighted to deliver another spacecraft that leverages our vertical integration strategy for high-quality and cost-effective satellite solutions on rapid timelines” he said.
When complete, the factory will need to return the manufactured goods to Earth. Varda’s spacecraft travels at over 8 km/s. During re-entry, the capsule enters the atmosphere at Mach 25+ and experiences temperatures three times hotter than the surface of the sun. Ground testing cannot truly replicate coupled high-hypersonic environmental conditions, meaning flight tests are the only way to accurately assess this flight regime. Varda’s March 25+ hypersonic re-entry testbed is supposed to be a modular, and affordable solution that provides vehicle, and subsystem developers a way to rapidly advance capabilities, increase TRL and reduce risk.
Future Missions
As partially mentioned prior, Rocket Lab is scheduled for a total of four missions, with the recent launch being the first. This being said, the fourth mission was only just confirmed. Only a few weeks ago Rocket Lab announced that Varda will procure a fourth Photon spacecraft. The deal follows on a previous bulk-order by Varda in August 2021 for three Photon spacecraft from Rocket Lab.
“Our growing space systems capabilities offer a compelling balance of performance, heritage, schedule reliability, and cost, ultimately making innovative missions like Varda’s in-space factories possible with speed and efficiency,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck. “Photon is bringing new capabilities to market quickly, meeting the growing customer demand for advanced, configurable satellite technology. We’re very pleased to continue strengthening the partnership with Varda and look forward to delivering hardware early next year.”
The Varda contract joins Rocket Lab’s growing space systems backlog, which includes a US$143 million contract with MDA Ltd to lead the design and manufacture 17 spacecraft buses for Globalstar’s new Low Earth Orbit satellites. Globalstar, is a leading provider of Mobile Satellite Services including customizable satellite IoT solutions for individuals and businesses globally. A high-energy variant of Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft was also selected by NASA to deploy the CAPSTONE satellite, owned and operated by Advanced Space, to lunar orbit in 2022 in support of NASA’s Artemis program. Rocket Lab currently operates two existing Photon spacecraft on orbit.
Focusing more on Varda and the company’s plans, they are putting a majority of focus on pharmaceuticals. In a statement, the company said, “Varda provides microgravity formulation development in partnership with world-class contract research organizations to develop unique formulations. Our initial focus is on formulating small molecule products, with future platforms designed for biologics. Our in-space technology offers a path to enable unique formulations of both small molecules and biologics by expanding the envelope of accessible forms, processes, and particle morphologies. Early missions will return quantities of materials for preclinical studies, with the ability to scale on subsequent missions to return space-made materials that maintain the supply chain cost effectively” they said. This will all be put to the test soon with the first factory now in orbit.
What’s interesting is that without the Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft, the factory is unable to complete its mission. As a configurable platform, Photon can be tailored to meet unique mission requirements. From mass manufacture as a streamlined constellation offering, to a single customized technology demonstration spacecraft, Photon can easily be adapted to make your mission possible. This is part of the reason the spacecraft will look very different on the CAPSTONE, ESCAPADE, and Venus missions. Whether its solar panel placement, communication, extra hardware, etc, these changes are made depending on the mission.
Taking a closer look at this hardware, for missions that require extended payload support on orbit, or for missions exceeding 2,000 km to MEO, lunar, or interplanetary destinations, Rocket Lab offers the Photon spacecraft bus, a high-performance evolution of the Kick Stage. Photon is equipped with radiation-tolerant avionics, deep space-capable communications and navigation technology, and high-performance space-storable propulsion capable of multiple restarts on orbit. With the capacity to both host an external payload and perform secondary mission objectives as a separate operational spacecraft, Photon has been designed for dedicated mission or as a rideshare option without the programmatic complexity, expanded cost, and schedule risk typically experienced when launching with a medium or heavy lift launch vehicle.
In relation to this, Varda Space Industries Chief Executive Officer Will Bruey commented, “Rocket Lab has been an asset in developing and delivering this spacecraft on our schedule and budget. Our engineers at Varda and the Rocket Lab team have worked together seamlessly and are excited by the benefits this spacecraft will bring to Earth and healthcare” he said. A mission we will have to keep up with in the coming months.
Conclusion
Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft bus filled to the brim with company-owned technology is currently supporting Varda Space’s first factory in orbit. In the next few weeks, we can expect updates from both Varda and Rocket Lab as this duo works to create products and send them back to Earth. We will have to wait and see how it progresses and the impact it has on the space industry.