Groundbreaking Held in Indiana for New Redwire Facility
Groundbreaking Held in Indiana for New Redwire Facility
Will be Used to Develop Microgravity Payloads, Conduct Space Operations
Ground has officially been broken by Redwire on a new microgravity payload development and space operations facility at the Novaparke Innovation & Technology Campus in Floyd County, Indiana. Redwire executives were joined by Representative Erin Houchin, state and local government officials, and academic leaders from Indiana University Southeast for a groundbreaking ceremony on May 31.
“Redwire’s investment in this state-of-the-art facility will enable our company to meet the growing demand for in-space research and manufacturing.”
John Vellinger, Redwire
The new facility will support Redwire’s cutting edge space biotechnology programs that are making it possible for the biopharma industry to achieve game-changing outcomes not possible on Earth. One such capability is bioprinting three-dimensional structures, a crucial step toward printing tissues and organs for transplant and research. Redwire recently announced the successful bioprinting of live human heart tissue on its 3D BioFabrication Facility (BFF) on the International Space Station (ISS). Another biopharma-related breakthrough is the ability to grow large and highly ordered crystals for pharmaceutical use. On the same flight that returned heart tissue samples, Redwire received a batch of space-flown crystal experiments from its Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory (PIL-BOX) platform. Redwire has 16 in-space investigations planned for PIL-BOX.
BFF and PIL-BOX are part of Redwire’s expansive array of space biotech and microgravity development platforms that make use of the space environment to improve life on Earth. Redwire has developed 20 research facilities for crewed spacecraft, with 10 currently aboard the ISS supporting world-leading research and manufacturing missions.
“Redwire’s investment in this state-of-the-art facility will enable our company to meet the growing demand for in-space research and manufacturing,” said John Vellinger, Redwire’s President of In-Space Industries. “Our recent on-orbit successes with human tissue bioprinting and novel pharmaceutical crystal formation are revolutionary and are building strong demand for our products. The additional laboratories will help us increase our throughput on Earth and in space.”