UK firm Space Forge successfully tests 'space factory' in orbit

Space Forge, an innovative company based in Cardiff, has successfully launched a microwave-sized factory into orbit aboard a SpaceX rocket. 

This achievement marks a significant milestone for the firm, as the team has demonstrated that the factory’s onboard furnace can be remotely activated and reach extremely high temperatures of around 1,000 degrees Celsius.

This technological breakthrough paves the way for the production of next-generation semiconductors. Space Forge plans to manufacture these essential components in orbit and then return them to Earth for use in electronics, communications infrastructure, and transportation systems.

The decision by UK firm Space Forge to move manufacturing off-world is based on scientific principles; conditions in space are uniquely suited for semiconductor production. In a weightless environment, atoms can arrange themselves into a highly ordered, perfect three-dimensional structure. Additionally, the vacuum of space prevents microscopic contaminants from interfering with material formation.

Space Forge CEO Josh Western underlines the huge potential of this process. “The work that we’re doing now is allowing us to create semiconductors up to 4,000 times purer in space than we can currently make here today,” he explains.

Western states that these superior components from UK firm Space Forge will ultimately be essential for 5G towers, electric vehicle chargers, and modern aircraft.

Since the launch this summer, the team has been strictly testing systems from mission control in Cardiff. Veronica Viera, the payload operations lead, shared the team’s elation upon receiving an image from inside the furnace showing plasma glowing brightly.

Noting that it proved the viability of a core ingredient in their manufacturing process, she called the moment one of the most exciting of her life.

Future Plans

Space Forge is planning to design a larger factory that can produce materials for 10,000 chips. A crucial aspect of this operation is ensuring that the materials can be safely brought back to Earth. Future missions will use a specialized heat shield called “Pridwen,” named after King Arthur’s legendary shield, to protect the payload during the extreme heat of atmospheric re-entry.

Libby Jackson, Head of Space at the Science Museum, emphasizes that although this technology is in its early stages, it is paving the way for an economically feasible era where manufacturing beyond Earth offers concrete advantages for everyone globally.