Rocket Lab Will Soon Help Build Factories In Space
Over the past few years, Rocket Lab has worked to develop, innovate, and create a very unique small-lift launch vehicle. In addition, with the help of an extra spacecraft such as Photon, it has opened up many different opportunities for unique missions and more. This includes a recent partnership and future mission to help facilitate and send equipment capable of manufacturing in space.
Late last year in 2021, Rocket Lab announced they were teaming up with Varda Space Industries to deliver multiple Photons and necessary equipment. Specifically, Rocket Lab will help build small space factories capable of manufacturing in space and sending products back to Earth. Not to mention Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft will not only deliver the equipment to the desired location but also work to provide power, data, and more.
Space offers a one-of-a-kind environment for different manufacturing processes. Thanks to weightlessness, for example, certain unique products can be manufactured including fiber optic cables, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors, just to name a few. Here I will go more in-depth into Rocket Lab’s role in these upcoming launches and the opportunity it presents.
Partnership Update
What seems like a constant theme with Rocket Lab, more news, and upcoming unique missions with different partners and goals. Not long ago Rocket Lab announced an upcoming mission with Varda Space Industries, a company that focuses on space factories for Earth-bound products. Specifically, late last year in 2021 Rocket Lab Tweeted saying, “Big news! We’re teaming up with @vardaspace to deliver multiple Photons to support in-space manufacturing. Varda’s space factories will enable high-value products to be manufactured in zero-gravity and returned to Earth.” They went on to highlight that the Photon spacecraft can support a wide variety of missions, including playing host to space factories. In 2021 Rocket Lab signed a deal with in-space manufacturing company Varda Space Industries to produce three Photon spacecraft that will integrate with Varda’s space factories, enabling high-value products to be manufactured in zero-gravity and returned to Earth in a re-entry capsule. Taking a closer look at Varda Space Industries, their 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. In terms of the launch plan, 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. All three Photon spacecraft will also incorporate Rocket Lab-designed and built spacecraft components, including radios, reaction wheels, and star trackers. 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. Photon is a small spacecraft based on the heritage Electron launch vehicle Kick Stage, leveraging numerous components that have significant flight heritage. Photon flies as the upper stage of Electron, eliminating the parasitic mass of deployed spacecraft and enabling full utilization of the fairing. This upcoming mission is very unique as 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. However, 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.
Key Mission Components
In a more thorough report, Rocket Lab highlights some of the key mission components along with comments from Peter Beck and more. One of the first statements mentioned, “The Varda team is undertaking ground-breaking work that really opens up new possibilities and markets for in-space manufacturing and we couldn’t be more excited to make their mission possible with Photon,” said Rocket Lab Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Peter Beck. “Photon enables our customers to unlock the full potential of space. It removes a massive barrier to the growing small satellite market by delivering our customers a versatile and configurable spacecraft platform that they don’t need to build themselves. Our customers get to orbit faster and can focus purely on their mission while there, rather than worrying about developing and operating a spacecraft.” It seems Peter Beck is very excited about this mission and the possible future it holds. Taking a closer look at Varda, the company is based in Torrance, California. Varda Space Industries was founded by Will Bruey, who spent almost a decade working on SpaceX’s Crew and Cargo Dragon spacecraft, and Delian Asparouhov, a Principal at Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. “We are excited to work with Rocket Lab. Photon is a great fit for our mission and their team has displayed significant engineering rigor. Working with them will allow us to deliver on our aggressive schedule and tight budget. We are one step closer to delivering valuable materials to our clients here on Earth,” said Varda Space Industries Chief Executive Officer, Will Bruey.
One of the very special aspects of this mission has to do with the fact that Photon is doing much more than helping deliver these products to orbit. Instead, as mentioned prior, Photon will help with power, control, communication, and other key aspects while in space. The first Varda Photon is planned for delivery not long from now in Q1 of 2023, with the second to follow up later in the year and a third in 2024. The contract, which is subject to standard termination provisions, also includes an option for Varda to procure a fourth Photon. Each mission has a nominal three-month duration from launch to landing. The Varda contract joins a growing list of Photon missions, including the CAPSTONE lunar mission in support of NASA’s Artemis program and a recently announced contract to design twin Photon spacecraft in support of a NASA Mars mission. Rocket Lab currently operates two existing Photon spacecraft on orbit. Launched in 2020 and 2021 respectively, the Photon First Light and Photon Pathstone spacecraft demonstrated Rocket Lab’s end-to-end mission service, encompassing satellite design and build, launch on Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle, and on-orbit operations. With each launch and new announcement, Rocket Lab works to gain invaluable experience and testing for key products such as Photon and Electron. This same experience will be used on future projects such as Neutron and more. This ambition and innovation within the industry are some of the reasons why Rocket Lab is so special and stands out within the space industry.
Conclusion
Space offers a one of a kind environment where you have access to unique opportunities. One of the future goals of different companies and agencies revolves around manufacturing in space. Here things that are impossible on Earth are possible in orbit. Not long ago Rocket Lab announced a partnership with Varda Space Industries for multiple Photon launches for the near future. These will help deliver products meant to manufacture and send items back to Earth. We will have to wait and see how these missions develop and the impact it has on the future of the space industry.