A California-based startup has just taken its vision of in-orbit manufacturing to the big leagues, signing a major deal with a pharmaceutical company to explore developing new, improved versions of its drugs in space. Varda Space Industries announced a collaboration with United Therapeutics Corporation to study the use of microgravity in developing improved formulations of medicines for rare pulmonary diseases (progressive lung disorders). The company will fly small-molecule drugs on board its orbital capsules, where they will be allowed to crystallize in the microgravity environment. “Microgravity gives us a fundamentally different environment to manufacture pharmaceuticals that are otherwise impossible on Earth,” Will Bruey, CEO of Varda Space Industries, said in a statement .…