Sierra Space expands alliance with Yuri to boost biotech missions in orbit
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 30, 2025
Sierra Space, a top-tier commercial space and defense technology company focused on leveraging space to enhance life on Earth, has deepened its collaboration with German space biotech firm Yuri. The new agreement centers on a forthcoming ScienceTaxi BioSpin mission, targeting advancements in microgravity-enabled biological research and pharmaceutical development.
The expanded contract follows the companies’ initial 2022 partnership that delivered Yuri’s ScienceTaxi platform to the International Space Station (ISS). Under this new phase, Sierra Space will take on end-to-end responsibilities, managing payload integration, launch logistics, operational execution in orbit, and re-entry services for Yuri’s experimental payloads. This strengthened cooperation represents a notable step toward addressing infrastructure gaps in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for in-space biotech R and D and manufacturing using Yuri’s middeck lockers and specialized bioreactors.
“Our expanded partnership with Yuri aligns with our vision of making space more accessible for scientific innovation in order to ultimately benefit those on Earth,” said Ken Shields, Sr. Director of Business Development at Sierra Space. “By managing Yuri’s ScienceTaxi’s full operational cycle, we’re empowering researchers worldwide to explore new frontiers in biotechnology and medicine that could drive breakthroughs with real-world applications.”
ScienceTaxi BioSpin functions as a sophisticated microgravity life sciences incubator, capable of hosting up to 38 unique experiments per mission. Its automated systems regulate temperature and collect real-time data, enabling the study of microgravity effects on diverse biological samples such as organoids, crystals, and plants. Equipped with a variable-gravity centrifuge, the system also supports comparative analyses by simulating gravitational conditions found on the Moon or Mars.
“Our partnership with Sierra Space is a strong example of how international collaboration can drive life sciences beyond Earth. As we move towards a post-ISS era, transatlantic partnerships like ours are more critical than ever, providing a reliable and sustainable pathway for commercial research in Low Earth Orbit,” said Maria Birlem, CEO, Yuri GmbH. “By ensuring continued access to space for biotech innovation, we are laying the foundation for groundbreaking discoveries that will shape the future of medicine and biotechnology-both in orbit and on Earth.”
The collaboration also aligns with Sierra Space’s broader goals of supporting scalable and innovative platforms for space research. As new commercial space stations come online, the two companies aim to expand ScienceTaxi’s role beyond the ISS, ensuring continuous access for the biotech sector to conduct pioneering research in LEO. This strategic alliance reinforces the growing momentum behind commercial biomedical research in orbit.
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