Space Forge, a British startup founded in 2018, has a plan to reshape how we make materials. To do that, they’re leveraging the unique environment of space to meet this lofty target. The company’s mission centers around developing high-performance materials, like new semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, using advanced manufacturing processes in microgravity. Numerous additional tests In December, Space Forge powered up an orbital furnace on its ForgeStar-1 satellite. This accomplishment is an incredible testament to their pioneering drive for innovation.
The ForgeStar-1 satellite is engineered to test the orbital furnace’s capability to create and sustain the necessary environment for growing superconductor crystals. Space Forge’s co-founder and CEO, Joshua Western, said that through this mission, the satellite will deploy a world-first heat shield. This thrilling move is scheduled to happen during its de-orbit later this year. The spacecraft will eventually die a fiery death on re-entry surface. Yet a follow-up mission next year is poised to return the first crop of crystals grown in space.
The Science Behind Space-Grown Crystals
The unique quality of the microgravity environment presents unique and significant advantages for the process of crystal growth. In this environment, the variables are greatly controlled and the conditions become much more homogeneous, setting the stage for better crystallization. Western elaborates on this phenomenon, stating, “For example, if you’re worried about nitrogen interfering with your growth process, on Earth [in a vacuum chamber] nitrogen might be present at concentration of around 10 to the -11. In space, above 500 kilometers altitude, it’s naturally present at 10 to the -22.”
The process of growing crystals for semiconductor devices in the microgravity of space has proven especially effective in enhancing performance. A recent meta-analysis published in the journal Nature in early 2024 uncovered some thrilling results. Most importantly, it demonstrated that 86 percent of these crystals resulted in a greater degree of crystallinity, uniformity and performance compared to their terrestrial-grown counterparts. Such a breakthrough would have profound effects on all electronic devices. Convergence analysts believe that the in-orbit manufacturing market will grow to $28.19 billion by 2034.
Additionally, Space Forge’s flying furnace is specifically designed to create seed crystals for substrates made from gallium and aluminum nitride or silicon carbide. These new materials are crucial enablers to make high-performance power devices. They can increase energy efficiency by as much as 50 percent for large infrastructure investments such as 5G towers.
Economic Challenges and Market Potential
Even with the potential benefits of space-grown materials, an economic crisis has hit recently. The price tag for sending materials to orbit—and more importantly—bringing them back to Earth is significant. To put that in current terms, estimates indicate SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is capable of delivering payloads to low Earth orbit at around $1,500 per kilogram.
Western thinks that the value of space-grown substrates will outweigh their cost by improving performance results and thereby reducing life-cycle costs. He asserts that if a space-grown substrate increases the yield of a $10,000 high-end AI processor from 50 percent to 90 percent or enables a quantum computer to operate closer to room temperature rather than near absolute zero, “the launch cost becomes a negligible fraction of the total value created.”
Future Endeavors and Research Implications
Space Forge has flown successfully on a number of orbital flights to prove out its return technology. This year, they are preparing for even more high-stakes tests. Other analysts question the viability of microgravity as a profitable avenue for bulk material manufacturing. They see the promise of AI for niche or specialized uses. Anne Wilson states, “I don’t think that microgravity is going to be ideal for the manufacture of bulk materials. Niche materials for specific applications might be worth the investment.”
The impact of being able to successfully grow materials in space would go far beyond just having a new manufacturing process. E. Steve Putna on how space-grown substrates can mold AI data centers into productive environments. These substrates meet the growing challenge of cooling cost with a significant impact. “It could be a game-changer for [AI data centers] where cooling costs are a primary bottleneck,” he says.