PIL-BOX by Redwire: status and timeline

Milestones

Next · SpaceMD venture launched with first commercial partnership

PIL-01 mission launches on SpaceX CRS-2910 Nov 2023Complete.
PIL-01 installed on ISS ADSEP facilityNov 2023Complete.
First live heart tissue bioprinted aboard ISS on 3D BioFabApr 2024Complete.
PIL-02 mission with Eli Lilly launches (expanded research)2024Complete.
SpaceMD venture launched with first commercial partnershipTarget 2025Current milestone.
Regular commercial pharmaceutical development missionsTarget 2026Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Upcoming

2025SpaceMD venture launched with first commercial partnership (next)
2026Regular commercial pharmaceutical development missions
2026FDA regulatory pathway established for space drugs

Current obstacles

High per-experiment costISS time and launch costs limit testing scope. Cost reduction per mission is key to scale.
Regulatory uncertaintyNo FDA pathway yet for space drugs. Each compound requires novel regulatory strategy.

Physics limits

ISS capacity is limitedThe ISS has finite space and power. Multiple customer experiments must share the ADSEP facility, limiting throughput per company.
Mission frequency is fixedNASA's cargo manifest determines when supplies and experiments can launch and return. Commercial frequency depends on NASA's schedule and other customers.

How it works

3 parts

Installation

Mounted on ISS ADSEP facility

PIL-BOX sits inside Redwire's ADSEP module, which manages temperature, humidity, and experiment conditions.

Growth

Microgravity crystal formation

Proteins arrange into larger, purer crystals without gravity settling. Weeks of uninterrupted growth.

Return and analysis

Samples returned for ground analysis

After 20-25 days, Dragon returns samples to Earth for analysis of crystal structure and drug properties.

Spec sheet

Spec	PIL-BOX
Experiment duration per mission	20-25 days^R (reported)
Crystal size improvement in microgravity	Larger and more-ordered than Earth-based^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

5 updates

About Redwire

The team behind PIL-BOX

Redwire

PIL-BOX pharmaceutical crystals, ISS in-space manufacturing

Aerospace manufacturer developing PIL-BOX, a platform for pharmaceutical crystal growth in space aboard the ISS. Reuses pharmaceutical research and improves drug development timelines. Public company (RDW) on NYSE.

Formed 2020; public (RDW) since Jan 2021. 750 employees in 2024; 1,300 across US and Europe.
PIL-01 (Nov 2023) with Eli Lilly proved microgravity grows better insulin crystals. PIL-02 expanded research.
SpaceMD venture launched 2025 to commercialize space pharma manufacturing with ExesaLibero.

rdw.com (opens rdw.com)Company profile →

Founded: 20206 yrs
Headquarters: United States
Status: Public
Valuation: $1Best. market capOct 2026estimate
Works in: SpaceflightIn-space manufacturing
Coverage: 1 program · 5 updateslatest 4 Aug 2025checked 10 Oct
Customers: Eli Lilly and Company (opens lilly.com)NASA (opens nasa.gov)
Partners: ExesaLibero Pharma (opens exesalibero.com)

PIL-BOX

Milestones

Most important updates

Upcoming

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Mounted on ISS ADSEP facility

Microgravity crystal formation

Samples returned for ground analysis

Spec sheet

Update log

Mon 4 Aug 2025

Apr 2024

Mar 2024

Fri 10 Nov 2023

Mon 30 Oct 2023

About Redwire

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Mounted on ISS ADSEP facility

Microgravity crystal formation

Samples returned for ground analysis

Spec sheet

Update log

Mon 4 Aug 2025

Apr 2024

Mar 2024

Fri 10 Nov 2023

Mon 30 Oct 2023

About Redwire