The New Space Race is Just Beginning
About the project
The space industry is at an exciting inflection point. After decades of laying the groundwork, the basic infrastructure for space exploration and commercialization has matured — costs have decreased, technologies have advanced, and the door is wide open for a new era of explosive growth. Joining us was Will Bruey, CEO and co-founder of Varda Space Industries who helped us explore this next phase of space exploration and commercialization.
Client
Editorial
Services
Salon — Los Angeles
Year
2025
Guests arrived at Chromasonic’s new studio in LA’s Arts District, greeted with cocktails, bites, and a soulful DJ set from Michael Donte of Black House Radio.
Once settled, they were ushered into Chromasonic Field—a large-scale, walk-through installation where translucent screens transformed sound into color and color into sound. Driven by an algorithmic interplay of light and sonic waves, the experience was mesmerizing and sensory-rich—an invitation to dissolve the boundary between art and science.
From there, Freethink’s Kmele Foster took the stage for a live conversation with Will Bruey, CEO and co-founder of Varda Space Industries.
Together, they explored the rapidly evolving field of space manufacturing at a moment when falling launch costs and new technologies were unlocking unprecedented possibilities beyond Earth. Bruey shared his journey from lead avionics engineer at SpaceX—where he flew the Dragon spacecraft on eight missions to the ISS—to launching Varda, which is pioneering the use of microgravity to produce pharmaceuticals in space.
