- Sierra Space announces a strategic partnership with Redwire Corporation to integrate advanced biotechnology and manufacturing technologies into Sierra Space’s Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) habitat.
- Redwire’s contributions, built upon extensive ISS research, will enable significant advancements in pharmaceutical drug development and human health research in microgravity.
LOUISVILLE, Colo., and Jacksonville, Fla. – August 21, 2023
In a significant move for the aerospace industry, Sierra Space, a trailblazer in commercial space endeavors, has unveiled its strategic alliance with Redwire Corporation, a vanguard in next-gen space infrastructure. This collaboration aims to pioneer commercial pharmaceutical and biotech R&D and manufacturing in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
Redwire is set to provide Sierra Space’s LIFE habitat with cutting-edge, flight-tested biotechnology and manufacturing solutions. This integration will open doors for commercial breakthroughs, particularly in pharmaceutical drug development and human health research.
Sierra Space CEO, Tom Vice, emphasized the monumental shift in industrial innovation in space. He remarked, “The most significant industrial revolution is underway in space… Together we will enable discoveries in human healthcare, biopharma and across the widest range of the industrials sector as we extend research facilities and factories off-world in the Orbital Age.”
Echoing this sentiment, Redwire Chairman and CEO, Peter Cannito, expressed pride in their selection by Sierra Space. He highlighted Redwire’s commitment to leveraging its extensive microgravity research from the International Space Station (ISS) to bring unparalleled technological and economic benefits to humanity.
Redwire’s contribution encompasses a comprehensive suite of space hardware and ground-based equipment. This includes biotechnology for pharmaceutical structure determination, thermally conditioned stowage lockers, and manufacturing facilities for industrial crystals. Additionally, Redwire’s expertise in automation and robotics will be pivotal. Hardware development is in full swing, with deliveries anticipated to commence in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Sierra Space’s LIFE habitat, which can be launched via a conventional rocket, boasts a unique design that expands to the size of a three-story building once in orbit. This structure promises to be a game-changer for various industries, leveraging the advantages of zero gravity. The LIFE habitat has already undergone rigorous testing, with a full-scale test slated for fall 2023.
Redwire is also on an expansion trajectory. The company recently announced its plans for a new 30,000 square-foot facility in Indiana. Furthermore, Redwire is gearing up to support the ISS with additional flight payloads in the upcoming year.
