Accelerating Drug Discovery Through Timely Retrieval of Microgravity Research OutcomesElevationSpace Inc. (Co-Founder and CEO: Ryohei Kobayashi, headquartered in Sendai, Japan) and Exobiosphere S.A. (CEO: Kyle Asierno, headquartered in Luxembourg) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly work towards the realization of a high-frequency sample return service from space. The service aims to accelerate drug discovery on Earth by enabling the timely return of experimental samples from microgravity environments.ElevationSpace is Japan’s first private company developing atmospheric re-entry and recovery technologies to bring back materials developed in space. Through this partnership, Exobiosphere’s proprietary high-throughput screening system, OHTS (Orbital High-Throughput Screener), will be integrated into ElevationSpace’s free-flying demonstrator satellite (ELS-R) and its high-frequency recovery capsule for space station missions (ELS-RS). This collaboration aims to enable rapid sample return from space, significantly enhancing drug development on Earth.Background and Objectives of the PartnershipIt is scientifically recognized that microgravity accelerates cellular aging and the progression of certain diseases, making it a promising environment for pharmaceutical R&D and drug discovery. This environment enables more precise disease models and the acceleration of drug screening, which promises to bring better medicine to patients, faster. Exobiosphere is leveraging these characteristics through its development of OHTS—a system capable of screening thousands of samples simultaneously in space.While some results can be transmitted to Earth via data links, detailed analysis often requires physical retrieval of samples. However, opportunities for return from the International Space Station (ISS) are limited—typically only three times per year—creating bottlenecks for fast, iterative research cycles.ElevationSpace’s ELS-R and ELS-RS platforms aim to eliminate this bottleneck by enabling more frequent sample returns. Notably, ELS-RS is designed to offer monthly sample return opportunities—far exceeding the current three to four times a year standard—thereby enabling faster, more iterative pharmaceutical R&D cycles.Future OutlookThe two companies will jointly develop integration methods between OHTS and ELS-R / ELS-RS, while also collaborating on the optimization of recovery supply chains for pharmaceutical applications. They also plan to co-develop demonstration missions aboard the ISS or/and future commercial space stations, or freeflyers.Furthermore, ElevationSpace and Exobiosphere will jointly explore customer development among pharmaceutical companies and research institutions across the US, Europe, and Japan.Through these initiatives, the partnership aims to expand practical use of the space environment and realize ElevationSpace's mission of "creating a world where everyone can live and work in space." and Exobiosphere’s mission of “Improving and extending health on Earth and in Space”.From left: Kyle Asierno, CEO of Exobiosphere; Ryohei Kobayashi, Co-Founder & CEO of ElevationSpace;（Photographed in front of the Luxembourg Pavilion at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai.）Comment from Ryohei Kobayashi, Co-Founder & CEO of ElevationSpace“This partnership marks a significant step toward turning space-based experiment results into real-world applications. Especially in drug discovery, the insights gained from microgravity environments offer unprecedented value, and our return systems represent a perfect use case. Our mission is to make space research not only more accessible, but also indispensable to real-world scientific progress.”Comment from Kyle Asierno, CEO of Exobiosphere“To truly enable space-based pharmaceutical research, timely return of experimental samples is essential. Combining our high-precision screening technology with ElevationSpace’s frequent return systems, we can bridge the gap between advanced space experiments and practical drug development. We are proud to take on this challenge together.”※1: OHTS (Orbital High-Throughput Screener)OHTS is a compact, high-density space experiment module developed by Exobiosphere. Designed for high-throughput operations, it enables the simultaneous handling of thousands of cellular and molecular samples in microgravity. The system allows for real-time monitoring of drug responses and disease models over time.※2：ELS‐R、ELS-RSELS-R: A free-flying orbital demonstration and return satellite for microgravity experiments and validations conducted in unmanned small satellites, offering Japan’s first commercial return service.ELS-RS: A high-frequency return capsule that operates from space stations, providing monthly return opportunities.※3: ScreeningScreening is a method used to efficiently identify substances or cells with specific functions or effects from a vast pool of drug candidates. In drug discovery, it involves testing thousands to tens of thousands of compounds to select those that exhibit the desired biological response effective against a particular disease. About ElevationSpace:ElevationSpace is a space startup with the vision of "Building an in-orbit transportation network to connect cargo, crew, and all orbital operations." In collaboration with Tohoku University and JAXA, ElevationSpace is leveraging Japan's world-class re-entry technology to develop a space transportation service that facilitates the return of goods from space to Earth. The company is focused on creating small spacecraft capable of transporting items that have been experimented on, developed, and manufactured in the microgravity environment back to Earth. More information: https://elevation-space.com/The International Space Station (ISS), which has been used for a wide range of purposes from basic scientific experiments to industrial applications, has been scheduled to cease operation at the end of 2030 due to structural lifespan and other factors, and securing a continuous "place" for utilizing the space environment has become an issue.With an eye on the "post-ISS era," ElevationSpace aims to provide a space environment utilization platform called "ELS-R." "ELS-R" is the first service of its kind in Japan to use an unmanned small satellite to conduct experiments and demonstrations that take advantage of the zero-gravity environment, and then return it to Earth and to customers.Concept movie showing the image of the "ELS-R" service%3Ciframe%20width%3D%22560%22%20height%3D%22315%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2F_2m_GXSDvdI%3Fsi%3Dxgts_ryJnp4D06sd%22%20title%3D%22YouTube%20video%20player%22%20frameborder%3D%220%22%20allow%3D%22accelerometer%3B%20autoplay%3B%20clipboard-write%3B%20encrypted-media%3B%20gyroscope%3B%20picture-in-picture%3B%20web-share%22%20referrerpolicy%3D%22strict-origin-when-cross-origin%22%20allowfullscreen%3D%22%22%3E%3C%2Fiframe%3EAbout Exobiosphere: Exobiosphere is a pioneering Luxembourg-based startup building next-generation drug discovery platforms that harness the unique advantages of microgravity. The company’s proprietary OHTS (Orbital High-Throughput Screener) enables simultaneous screening of thousands of cellular and molecular samples in orbit. By doing so, Exobiosphere is pioneering the next generation of pharmaceutical research and expanding practical applications of space.Company OverviewCompany Name: Exobiosphere S.A.Location: LuxembourgCEO: Kyle AsiernoWebsite: https://www.exobiosphere.com