Space Forge, a trailblazing company founded in 2018, is on the brink of changing the world of advanced electronics. Their pioneering methods of manufacturing in space are setting the standard. The corporation has a vision of creating ultra-efficient, next-generation electronics… ultrafast, optical networks… and breakthroughs in pharmaceutical research. Space Forge is focused on growing high purity superconductor crystals in microgravity (as illustrated above). This move positions the company as a leader in the quickly growing in-orbit manufacturing market, expected to grow to $28.19 billion by 2034.
Led by co-founder and CEO Joshua Western, Space Forge has conducted multiple orbital flights to test its cutting-edge return technology. The company just jumped into a whole new and thrilling new arena with its ForgeStar-1 satellite. This satellite includes a specialized flying furnace that produces pure, seed crystals. Soon these transdisciplinary crystals will go to work here on Earth. They will be used to grow interfaces of gallium and aluminum nitride or silicon carbide, allowing manufacture of high-performance power devices. The next upcoming tests this year will prove out the company’s vision of using space to produce better materials, faster and cheaper.
Innovations in Orbital Manufacturing
Space Forge’s recent activities highlight the company’s commitment to developing its orbital manufacturing capabilities. The ForgeStar-1 satellite recently executed a successful de-orbit maneuver, deploying a novel heat shield that protects the satellite during its descent back to Earth. This kind of swan dive is key to showing off the orbital furnace’s prowess. It indicates that the furnace is capable of reproducibly generating and sustaining the specific environment required for crystal growth.
The new orbital furnace worked by creating a stream of suuuuper-hot plasma. This impressive display proved its capacity to drive difficult chemical reactions. As Western explains, microgravity’s special, and largely unexplored, conditions have important effects that greatly improve the process of growing crystals.
“On Earth, you have trouble that, perhaps, some crystals grow around the interior of the reactor and not in other parts because the process between hot and cold is influenced by gravity,” – Joshua Western
“Microgravity effectively prevents convection from taking place, so you get a continually uniform deposition area,” – Joshua Western
This process might someday enable greater production of cutting-edge electronic parts, especially for uses calling for esoteric materials.
Challenges and Future Prospects
Although the potential of space-grown crystals is promising, there’s still work to be done to maximize the benefits on this exciting technology. Experts such as Anne Wilson cautioned against overestimating the feasibility of microgravity to produce bulk materials. They think it might be worth it to go after some niche materials.
“I don’t think that microgravity is going to be ideal for the manufacture of bulk materials,” – Anne Wilson
“However, niche materials for specific applications might be worth the investment.” – Anne Wilson
Space Forge is preparing for further tests, and hopes to return its first batch of space-grown crystals in a subsequent mission. We need to temper our expectations by appreciating that the volume of material that will return is almost certainly going to be just a few kilos. Consider the possible uses for these advanced materials, and those investments in developing in-space manufacturing start to make more sense.
According to experts, space-grown substrates could massively improve yield rates for expensive components such as AI processors and quantum computers. If that is the case, the benefits may be worth the cost of launching toxic materials into space.
“There is potential for significant energy savings, perhaps as much as 50 percent within large infrastructure installations such as [5G] towers,” – Joshua Western
Space Forge is in a really exciting place right now as they continue to uncover new applications for their space-grown crystals. The firm is positioned to help lead our nation into an era of advanced electronics manufacturing. They’re planning for more tests this year and are still in the throes of researching how to best optimize their proprietary processes.
“If a space-grown substrate increases the yield of a $10,000 high-end AI processor from 50 percent to 90 percent or allows a quantum computer to function closer to room temperature rather than near absolute zero, the launch cost becomes a negligible fraction of the total value created,” – E. Steve Putna
The consequences of successful space manufacturing reach well beyond even electronics. The know-how to manufacture these materials in microgravity would trigger advancements in a myriad of industries from pharmacy to telecommunications.
Space skeptics question the value of investing in space-based manufacturing, given declining costs on Earth. Space Forge is still confident that there’s something to its unique value proposition.
Space Forge is all-in on making its bold vision come to life. That would be a truly game-changing transformation for the heart of manufacturing as we’ve known it.
“When they were a prized commodity, maybe sending to space made sense. While the cost of space is decreasing, it’s not decreasing faster than the cost of producing wafers,” – Matt Francis
As Space Forge aims to turn its ambitious vision into reality, it may very well change the landscape of manufacturing as we know it.