For the first time in nine missions, LambdaVision will send its artificial retina protein beyond the International Space Station (ISS) this October, partnering with Helogen Corporation from its Woodbridge lab.
Scheduled to launch in October 2026, the mission marks an essential next step in LambdaVision's strategy to expand its microgravity research beyond the ISS and evaluate new platforms that could support long-term commercial operations in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
The mission builds on LambdaVision's nine trips to the ISS, which have advanced understanding of how proteins behave in space, demonstrated production of 200-layer protein thin films, and progressed microgravity manufacturing processes and hardware. As the ISS approaches retirement and new commercial stations and autonomous orbital platforms emerge, LambdaVision is working to establish multiple pathways for continued research and manufacturing in microgravity.
Nicole Wagner, Ph.D., CEO of LambdaVision, said, "After nine missions to the International Space Station, this mission represents a significant expansion of our work in microgravity. Working with Helogen gives us the opportunity to test our protein on an autonomous orbital platform beyond the ISS for the first time. Through this work, we can begin establishing additional quality controls for evaluating our protein on orbit and build on the knowledge gained through our ISS missions as we continue advancing the technology toward patients."
The mission will use Helogen's autonomous HEL-IOS orbital manufacturing platform to test bacteriorhodopsin, the light-activated protein used in LambdaVision's artificial retina, using an onboard spectrometer developed by Helogen for use in LEO.
"LambdaVision is exactly the type of customer HEL-IOS was built to support: a company that has demonstrated the value of microgravity and is now ready to move toward repeatable commercial production," said Shishir Bankapur, CEO of Helogen. "This mission is about taking the next step from research to manufacturing by providing the autonomous infrastructure, process controls and operational capabilities needed to produce high-value biomaterials consistently in orbit."
LambdaVision's artificial retina is a small, flexible implant composed of alternating layers of bacteriorhodopsin and a polymer, designed to replace damaged photoreceptor cells and restore vision for patients with retinal degenerative diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration.
