Insider Brief:
- Intuitive Machines partnered with San Jacinto College to develop a biopharmaceutical material handling training program, supporting space-based pharmaceutical recovery operations.
- The program builds on existing partnerships with Rhodium Scientific, a commercial space biotech company developing biomanufacturing payloads for Intuitive Machines’ reentry vehicle.
- San Jacinto College will train technicians in NIBRT-certified bioprocessing protocols, ensuring safe handling of pharmaceuticals upon Earth return.
- The initiative supports Intuitive Machines’ Earth Reentry Program, aiming to create a full-scale ground prototype by 2026 and establish Texas as a leader in orbital manufacturing.
PRESS RELEASE — Intuitive Machines, a leading space technology, infrastructure, and services company, today announced a partnership with San Jacinto College to develop a biopharmaceutical material handling training program based on the College’s established curriculum. Together with Intuitive Machines’ biotech partner, Rhodium Scientific, the team believes this initiative establishes an end-to-end commercial pipeline for space-based pharmaceutical production—from orbit to inspection—and helps position Texas at the forefront of orbital manufacturing.
Houston-based San Jacinto College has been a trusted workforce development partner to Intuitive Machines, providing approximately 20 trained composite material handling technicians for spacecraft development since 2019. The College is the only institution in the southern United States offering training certified by the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (“NIBRT”), the global benchmark for biopharmaceutical manufacturing excellence.
The new training program will be designed to meet the handling, inspection, and transfer requirements for pharmaceuticals returned to Earth by Intuitive Machines’ reentry vehicle. It builds on an existing partnership with International Space Station provider Rhodium Scientific, America’s first commercial space biotech company, which led the largest biomanufacturing program ever conducted in space with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Rhodium Scientific is developing biomanufacturing payloads tailored for Intuitive Machines’ reentry vehicle and will also collaborate with San Jacinto College to provide a turnkey science platform.
“Delivering life-improving pharmaceuticals from orbit is only valuable with reliable recovery and processes on Earth,” said Intuitive Machines Chief Technology Officer Tim Crain, Ph.D. “That requires more than a spacecraft—it demands the workforce, facilities, and regulatory alignment to support safe, repeatable operations. San Jacinto College has the credibility and technical depth to make this vision a reality.”
The training program is designed to prepare technicians in NIBRT-standard bioprocessing protocols to receive and manage biopharmaceuticals immediately after reentry. It complements Intuitive Machines’ ongoing development work under a Texas Space Commission grant, which supports progress through critical design review and the creation of a full-scale ground prototype Earth return vehicle. By integrating workforce partners with spacecraft and scientific payload providers, Intuitive Machines is working to create a seamless commercial architecture from orbit to end user.
“We’re proud to grow our long-standing relationship with Intuitive Machines and extend our leadership in biomanufacturing training,” said San Jacinto College Assistant Vice Chancellor and Vice President of Biotechnology Christopher Wild, Ph.D. “With NIBRT-certified programs already in place and our presence at the Houston Spaceport, San Jacinto College is uniquely positioned to train the workforce needed to commercial space-based pharma recovery.”
Looking Ahead
The Phase One grant supporting Intuitive Machines’ Earth Reentry Program will culminate in a full-scale ground mockup tailored to real payloads and use cases in early 2026. The Company believes this foundational phase and its strategic partnerships will help pave the way for future projects to bring the reentry system closer to flight readiness.
As Intuitive Machines advances toward orbital return flights, the Company is engaging stakeholders across industry and government. The collaborations with San Jacinto College and Rhodium Scientific aim to align future landing infrastructure, research opportunities, and funding pathways that deliver lasting economic impact from space.
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Cierra Choucair
Cierra Choucair is a journalist and data analyst at Space Insider, where she covers emerging technologies and the frontier edges of deep tech, including space. With a background that blends scientific analysis, strategic communication, and product storytelling, she translates technical complexity into actionable insight across research, startups, and policy.
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