Elon Musk's INSANE New $3.2B Space Factory!

 

Inside Elon Musk’s Insane New $3.2B Space Factory Space agency SpaceX owned by our very own Elon Musk collaborated with Varda Space Industries to launch the first ever space factory into orbit. Building materials with a high monetary worth, such as optic cables and bio-printed human organs will be the main deliverables of the factory. Among the many grandiose aspirations of space company CEOs like Elon Musk are plans to industrialize space. “Proponents who are in favour of this mission claim that doing so will significantly reduce the pollution on Earth. Furthermore, the advantages of working in a microgravity environment should be fully reaped” : said Elon in a recent interview. Intriguing isn’t it? Watch till the very end as we have all the exclusive insider information about this massive space project. Let's dive in! A look inside the very first space factory of its kind! Varda space plans on connecting at least three Photon spacecraft during the beginning of its development phase. In contrast to the International Space Station (ISS), Varda intends to use them for space manufacturing that does not require human intervention. Once production is complete, the craft will be equipped with re-entry capsules that will return the manufactured goods to Earth. In order for Varda to be viable, it will need to manufacture more than a few hundred kilos of material in its first factory. It is for this reason that the business will be focused on high-value products that sell for high prices despite their limited market share. Furthermore, when manufacturing products in space, there is no chance of contamination. Thus, the products created will have high purity levels as well. Some examples include crystalline structures, semiconductors, medicinal components and optic cables. Their space factory is said to be operational in less than 18 months! A collaboration to benefit all In their statement, Varda executives pointed out that cooperating with SpaceX provided them with the most cost-effective and reliable solution for launching the mission into orbit. Their financial strength is heavily reliant on the amount of money they spend on launch costs. 

The firm, according to Delian Asparouhov (Co-founder of Varda), is quite thrilled about this new partnership because it would not only save them money, but it will also allow them to expand their reach. Varda expects to spend approximately 7.5 million dollars to launch an electron rocket delivering a 200 kilogram payload into a sun-synchronous orbit. A launch driven by SpaceX, on the other hand, will only cost a million dollars and will take place in under an hour. Varda photon does not require a specific orbit for its mission, and it can be launched from a low earth orbit with relative ease, making it suitable for rideshare launches, in contrast to communication and image satellites, which require specific orbits. Another factor that influenced Varda's decision to partner with SpaceX was the fact that both of the company's founders were personally acquainted with Elon Musk. Also connecting them is the Founders Fund, an organization that invests in both Varda Space and SpaceX, as well as other space oriented companies. What can be done in space that one can’t do on earth? In microgravity, certain items can be made quite efficiently such as specialised semiconductors and bio printed human organs. There’s also a super efficient fiber optic cable called Z-bland. Aside from Varda space, NASA’s ISS has also been experimenting on such materials since quite some time. They were also the first to send back payloads from space to earth in the Dragon spacecraft owned by SpaceX. It is astonishing how the dragon is the only spacecraft which can carry out this task effectively, even after ten years from its launch. Varda intends to develop its own smart satellites with miniature re-entry capsules capable of returning upto 100 kilograms to earth. Despite being launched with SpaceX’s Falcon 9, Varda has also purchased three of “Rocket Lab”’s spacecraft. Challenges in the way SpaceX and Varda are yet to decide the exact materials they will build. For the mission to be scalable, they need to make a product which not only has a high resale value, but also is easy to transport without contamination. Funding is also a crucial factor for Varda to be viable. Aside from this, their primary challenge is developing a re-entry capsule that will allow the materials to be returned to earth. Re-entry is tougher than assembling hardware apparatus. Another problem is both processes and equipment will be exposed to a high level of radiation and will also have to withstand solar flare exposure. 

However, Elon has constantly stated that in-space manufacturing has great potential for humanity. Since the past years, there were two main issues that deterred space manufacturing : the lack of a dedicated platform and no soft return. However, with this new partnership these difficulties now do not stand in the way. As the time passes, who knows we could also colonise the moon and mars which would reduce the need for intern-planetary transport significantly. Varda Space Industry : At a glance This company was founded less than two years ago with the aim of building a space factory. With the help of experience at Elon Musk’s SpaceX and constant backing by Peter Thiel’s Founder Fund, they have now managed to raise more than $50 million in a single year. They are set to launch the beta phase of their project by the first quarter of 2023. This company is primarily based in Torrance, California and was founded by Will Bruey and Delian Asparauhov. As of 2021, this company packs a group of 16 best aerospace engineers, many of which are even ex-SpaceX employees. By the time of their first launch, the size is expected to go up to 40 as per their co-founders. Their working principle is mainly targeted towards launching space-made products more quickly. Earlier, the International Space Station has also served as a platform for manufacturing products in space, but a dedicated space factory has never been set up. 

Their first mission will launch on a ‘rideshare’ launch along with another SpaceX rocket, preferably a Falcon 9 due to its high payload threshold. As per Asparouhov, their company is different from other organisations that deal with in-space manufacturing because they focus on how their products add value to earth instead of only contributing to space. There are "very huge" markets for things like semiconductors, fiber optic cables, and medications here on the ground, according to Asparouhov. So they plan on building things that are more specialised and otherwise would have had a negative impact on the environment. They will be launching the first time with the falcon 9 rocket. During its flight, the spacecraft will test space manufacturing technologies for upto three months. Then it is expected that the re-entry capsule will return to earth with between 40-60 kilograms of materials collected from the orbit. The photon satellite will act as a mothership for each re-entry capsule. It also has solar panels, avionics and batteries in it. 

They can also make some propulsion upgrades to create a satellite bus that facilitates inter-station payload transport. SpaceX : At a glance SpaceX is short for Space Exploration Technologies Corporation. It is now one of the best commercial space flight organisations in the world. In the aspirations of reshaping the aerospace sector and making space travel more accessible, Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002. The Falcon 1 rocket, a two-stage, liquid-fueled craft, was the first to be launched by the corporation. Lockheed Martin and Boeing, two of the most well-known and well-funded corporations in the aerospace industry, were among the Falcon 1's most expensive competitors. Reusable rockets is another area of focus for SpaceX. They are also the very first commercial company to release a spacecraft (Dragon capsule) into orbit and have it safely return to earth. Given their astonishing achievements, it should come as no surprise that even foreign space agencies like Russia’s Roscosmos want to partner with SpaceX. Now they work closely with NASA and provide most of the rockets for their missions. SpaceX is also planning on setting up an autonomous network of satellites to provide seamless internet connectivity through starlink. This project is known as Starlink. Recently, SpaceX has also announced their successor to Falcon 9 which would be called the BFR. It’s payload would be ‘Starship’ which is a spacecraft designed for a wide array of use cases including fast transportation between cities on earth and colonies on Mars. Verdict If I told you about a company like Varda 5 years ago, you’d probably think I have lost it. But now, thanks to enhanced technology, this dream has turned into a reality. This collaboration has made it possible to create unique products that are only possible in space and deliver them economically.

This plant is a technological marvel because of lower costs, improved regulations, and commoditized space hardware solutions. Every time we think Elon has run out of creative ideas, he comes up with another one that blows our minds. This one in particular, is a classic example of preferring smart work over hard work. What do you think about this giant space factory?  

SpaceX Reveals NEW Plans to Launch a $3.2B Space Factory!

SpaceX Reveals New Plans to Launch Space Factories. SpaceX is the leader in the space industry and it does not appear that this will change very soon! Elon Musk's next project might include revolutionizing space manufacturing. Vardar Space Industries, a start-up that aspires to establish in-space manufacturing facilities, will launch its first spacecraft into orbit in 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The spaceship will be in orbit for up to three months, testing space manufacturing technology. At the end of the mission, a re-entry capsule will return to Earth with around 40 to 60 kg of materials produced in orbit. According to Vardar management, the firm picked SpaceX because it provided the most cost-effective and dependable alternative for sending their spacecraft into orbit. President and co-founder of Vardar Space, Delian Asparouhov, stated that launch costs are a major driver of the company's finances. This explains their decision to use the cheapest possible remedy. Asparouhov also commented on the new agreement, adding, "We are delighted about Vardar's signing with SpaceX as its launch provider. The significant reduction in entrance barriers will allow the Vardar to finally deliver the immense benefits of space to so many people on Earth, whose lives will change tangibly for the better as a result of microgravity manufacturing." 

Another reason Vardar must have chosen SpaceX is that both Vardar space business founders are well-versed in Elon Musk's enterprise. Will Brewey worked for SpaceX for over six years, and Delian Asparouhov is a principal in the founder's fund, which has assets in both Vardar Space and SpaceX. A firm like Vardar would not have been conceivable even five years ago. However, the firm is now not only operational, but it is also in a position to economically supply unique items that can only be made in space. All this is owing to fewer expensive launches, more stringent rules, and commoditized space hardware solutions. Brewey is enthused by the prospect of using Vardar's knowledge in space to bring fascinating possibilities to Earth's greatest companies, given that extended exposure to zero gravity is not conceivable on Earth. Let us now turn our attention to the million-dollar question. What can you produce in space that you can't make on Earth? Certain things, such as specialized semiconductors, bio-printed human organs, and zblan (pronounce as Z-blan), [DA1]a super-efficient fiber optic cable, can only be made efficiently in microgravity. Space is the only area where microgravity may be found for extended periods. 

Vardar's space is a year-old start-up with bigger ambitions than most corporate giants. Its objective is to establish the world's first space factory, or more specifically, the first all-in-one space factory. The ISS should be considered the first space factory since it regularly hosts payloads from paying customers, some of which are focused on producing materials that can only be manufactured in microgravity. It should be mentioned that the volumes generated by these trials are ridiculously low. Vardar Space intends to address this issue. The goods produced by these ISS tiny factories are subsequently transported down to Earth aboard one of SpaceX's dragons which, more than a decade after its introduction, is still the only spaceship in existence capable of transporting substantial volumes of goods from orbit to Earth. We have proved that orbital manufacturing has been taking place for many years, although on a very limited scale. So, let's take a look at what the new California start-up intends to do differently.

The game plan for Vardar's space is simple: replicate and expand on the international space station's proven model for forging a path to commercialization rather than launching many factories with small experiments to the ISS, which the crew onboard is practically forced to troubleshoot and maintain. The Vardar intends to construct its small satellites with tiny re-entry capsules capable of returning up to 100 kilos to Earth. Despite being launched by SpaceX on a Falcon 9, the actual spacecraft for the 2023 mission will be built by Rocket Lab. Vardar disclosed that it had obtained three-photon satellite buses from Rocket Lab, which would act as a type of mother ship for each Vardar-built re-entry capsule. The Photon is built on Rocket Lab's successful Electron rocket kick stage and includes avionics, batteries, extra propellant, solar panels, and optional propulsion improvements to provide an off-the-shelf satellite bus capable of supporting and powering onboard payloads. This means that instead of having to construct and qualify their satellites, Photon allows clients to spend their time and resources on creating the payloads and services they wish to deploy. Vardar Space appears to be the first firm to fully capitalize on this opportunity. However, there will undoubtedly be many more to come. Vardar space successfully disclosed that Rocket Lab has no restriction prohibiting photon clients from launching the satellite buses they purchase on rockets not produced by Rocket Lab. This explains SpaceX's launch contract. Some specialized small satellite launchers, such as Rocket Lab s Electron, provides various advantages. However, their rates are typically relatively high. An electron launch transporting 440 pounds to a sun-synchronous orbit is estimated to cost roughly 7.5 million dollars. A seat on a SpaceX rideshare to a similar but not as finely customized orbit would cost the same buyer about $1 million. Rocket Lab s Photon costs a couple million dollars and includes a propulsion system capable of refining the spacecraft's orbit after the rideshare launch. Vardar's modified photon will be one of several things on Falcon 9's ride-sharing expedition. A novel and profitable service that divides the expense of traveling to space among clients by allowing them to carpool to space. 

SpaceX claims to reduce the cost of launch to as little as $1 million for an individual client wishing to transport up to 440 pounds of payload to sun-synchronous orbit. Good luck to any corporation attempting to compete with that. Vardar, unlike communications and imaging spacecraft, does not require a fixed orbit for its mission other than to remain in low Earth orbit, making it perfect for rideshare missions. The only thing that counts, according to Brewey, is that the orbital inclination is high enough to pass over Vardar's landing spot. The re-entry capsule will touch down in an unknown place, according to Bartus Space. The key to success, according to Brewey, is to get operational hardware into orbit as soon as possible. And he believes it, based on how swiftly his firm has been operating. Vardar announced a 42-million-dollar Serie A rounds headed by Khosla Ventures and Caffeinated Capital in July. To date Vardar has raised more than $53 million. Given that the firm was created in November 2020, this is a staggering amount. Although the Vardar has cited a variety of high-value items such as optical fiber and medicines, we still don't know what it plans to manufacture in space. When questioned, business co-founder and president Asparouhov declined to reveal the first substance produced in space. Stating that the firm will publicize it after a deal with a customer is signed. He also stated that there was a 50% probability that this would occur within the next six months. According to Asparouhov, the company is focusing on the technology required for space manufacturing, which he claims would offer it a competitive advantage. However, creating the re-entry capsule that will return the materials to Earth is by far their most difficult task at the present. This statement was emphasized by Brewey. Manufacturing in space could offer a unique advantage to certain companies due to its low pressure, which lowers the chance of contamination. This would save a lot of money for firms with elaborate decontamination systems. 

According to the website of Space Forge, a UK-based space firm, manufacturing on Earth faces various problems. Gravity, which produces buoyancy and prevents the creation of ideal alloys in metals of differing densities, is the most difficult problem. Even the cleanest processes are contaminated by the earth's vast ambient atmosphere. Maintaining severe temperatures is likewise extremely difficult on Earth. It is considerably easier to build anything in space, from cryogenic freezers to furnaces, since heat and cold cannot escape into the surrounding air as they can on Earth. Although having some advantages, in-space manufacturing still confronts a few problems. For example, processes and equipment are likely to be subjected to high levels of radiation and must be able to endure exposure to solar flares. They may also be subjected to high temperatures, both hot and cold. When in orbit, it might be difficult to regulate systems and process machinery in real-time from Earth. Despite these obstacles, several space corporations and government organizations remain interested. Yes, even in its early days, Vardar is already facing fierce competition. For example, Space Forge is building completely returnable satellites that are meant for manufacturing next-generation super materials in space. By developing a dependable return mechanism, Space Forge hopes to accelerate the growth of the microgravity industry for high-value research and development applications by eliminating entrance barriers. Joshua Western, the CEO of Space Forge, basically echoed Brewey when it came to the commercial opportunity presented by in-space manufacturing, saying that there are huge opportunities for in-space manufacture, enabling us to make space work for humanity, but there are currently significant barriers, including no dedicated platform and no soft return. The key to a commercial in-space manufacturer is an accurate, manageable return. So, will Vardar dominate the in-space manufacturing sector with its massive launch agreement with SpaceX?

Thanks for reading: Elon Musk's INSANE New $3.2B Space Factory!, Sorry, my English is bad:)