Technology

Australia’s rocket industry reaches a crucial inflection point

Local space entrepreneurs are attempting to take a slice of SpaceX’s business, as demand for launch services far outweighs supply.

Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Varda Space Industries had a problem. The Californian start-up wanted to manufacture drugs in space – there was money to be made from pharmaceutical firms that wanted to process medication in microgravity.

It had a partner to get it up there – Elon Musk’s SpaceX – but it was not easy finding a place for its capsules to land. Utah had been the plan, but after eight months, permission to drop into the desert was not forthcoming. Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

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