🛸 First-ever space-made HIV drug crystals touch down Earth near Utah

In a historic achievement, California-based startup Varda Space Industries has successfully brought back samples of a drug produced in space. The company's capsule for manufacturing in space endured months of orbital restriction as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) denied re-entry.

Upon securing the required authorizations, the re-entry capsule safely touched down in the Utah desert at the Utah Test and Training Range on Wednesday, February 21. Read more about how the parachutes guided the landing of the W-1 mission re-entry capsule, carrying the space-cultivated antiviral drug crystals in today’s Must Read.

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In a significant milestone, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched the 264-pound (120-kilogram) inaugural mini-space drug facility into orbit on June 12. The crystallization process for Ritonavir, a drug used in HIV treatment, commenced in late June 2023. This innovative manufacturing occurred onboard the conical W-Series 1 satellite, which was mounted onto Rocket Lab's orbital Photon platform.

Nearly 52 years after NASA's Apollo 17 mission, Odysseus, a privately built robotic lander, made history by softly landing near the lunar south pole, becoming the first non-governmental spacecraft to do so. In a video message, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised the achievement as a significant milestone for Intuitive Machines, the United States, and the world.

Google's Gemini AI faces issues with image generation, leading to a temporary pause in the feature. The decision follows inaccuracies in depictions of historical figures and unexpected results in image requests. Google apologized and pledged immediate improvements, emphasizing its commitment to serving diverse global users. When questioned by Interesting Engineering, the AI assured that enhancements are underway and users will be notified of the feature's return in future updates.

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