Bhubaneswar-based start-up tests drug manufacturing in space

Serendipity Space, a Bhubaneswar-based startup, has made significant strides in the private space industry by successfully testing a prototype satellite designed for pharmaceutical manufacturing in microgravity conditions. The company, which started operations last year, utilized a high-altitude balloon launched from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research facility in Hyderabad to test their autonomous pharmaceutical factory, named Alchemy.

The satellite, equipped with advanced heatshield systems and avionics, operated continuously under harsh space conditions, successfully executing the designed processes before a controlled return to Earth. The unique microgravity environment in space allows for the completion of specific manufacturing steps that are challenging or impossible on Earth due to gravitational impacts.

This has opened up new possibilities for designing novel drug manufacturing pathways. While experiments on the International Space Station have explored similar concepts, Serendipity's achievement lies in developing a fully autonomous satellite system that eliminates the need for human supervision. The company aims to deploy the satellite in Lower Earth Orbits, approximately 400-500 km above the Earth's surface, where it could remain in space for several weeks or months.

The satellite is designed to safely land on water or land, ensuring the integrity of the manufactured molecules. Serendipity Space secured its initial funding in July of the previous year and completed the fully functional prototype in just five months.