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First-of-its-Kind: Varda Space and Rocket Lab Successfully Execute Historic Spacecraft Landing in Utah

Varda Capsule
A spacecraft containing pharmaceutical drugs that were grown on orbit has finally returned to Earth today after more than eight months in space. Varda Space Industries’ in-space manufacturing capsule, called Winnebago-1, landed in the Utah desert at around 4:40 p.m. EST. The first-of-its-kind reentry and landing is also a major win for Rocket Lab, which partnered with Varda on the mission. Rocket Lab hosted Varda’s manufacturing capsule inside its Photon satellite bus; through the course of the mission, Photon provided power, communications, attitude control and other essential operations. Varda’s mission launched on June 12 and was supposed to be just a month long, but it was extended after the company encountered regulatory issues.