Advances in Space-Enabled Drug Research Center on New Indiana Facility
New Georgetown Site Becomes Hub for Microgravity R&D and Manufacturing
Redwire has opened a 30,000-square-foot research and microgravity payload development facility in Georgetown, Indiana, positioning the site as a hub for space-enabled drug development and human health research.
“The new Georgetown facility serves as the cornerstone of Redwire’s ability to scale, support major programs around the world, and help shape the expanding orbital economy.”
Mike Gold, Redwire
The vertically integrated facility, located at the Novaparke Innovation & Technology Campus in Floyd County, is designed to support growing demand for space-based research, development and manufacturing, with a focus on pharmaceutical and biotech applications. It includes advanced engineering and scientific laboratories and a dedicated Payload Operations Control Center that Redwire will use as its central command post for real-time oversight of science and research operations on the International Space Station.
Mike Gold, president of Redwire Space, said the Georgetown site will play a central role in the company’s ability to scale space-enabled R&D for both government and commercial customers. “The new Georgetown facility serves as the cornerstone of Redwire’s ability to scale, support major programs around the world, and help shape the expanding orbital economy that will drive the future of space development while benefiting millions here on Earth,” Gold said.
Gold said the work conducted at the facility is expected to support NASA human spaceflight programs, while also advancing research for pharmaceutical and biotech partners and enabling new processes in areas such as semiconductors and fiber optics. He said the breakthroughs emerging from the site will “accelerate the development of the technology and capabilities that are enabling NASA to advance human spaceflight, drive life-changing discoveries for leading pharmaceutical and biotech partners, create new innovations in materials from semiconductors to fiber optics, and generally unlock the economic potential for commercial space stations.”
The Georgetown facility also serves as a key operational site for Space Microgravity Development LLC, or SpaceMD, a Redwire venture focused on using the microgravity environment to develop new biotech and other technologies. SpaceMD will use the Indiana site to help translate on-orbit research into commercial applications.
Redwire marked the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and facility tours on July 20, 2026. Indiana Governor Mike Braun attended the event along with Redwire Chairman and CEO Peter Cannito, Gold, SpaceMD CEO John Vellinger, former NASA astronaut Charlie Walker and former NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy Captain Ken Bowersox.
The company describes itself as a global leader in microgravity research and development technologies, with hundreds of experiments flown on crewed systems ranging from the Space Shuttle to the ISS. Its microgravity platforms support biotechnology and pharmaceutical work as well as materials research in areas such as fiber optics and semiconductors, which Redwire says could demonstrate how space-based activity can reshape terrestrial industries while paving the way for future commercial space stations.