It stands poised to shape the future of electronics and pharmaceuticals production right here on Earth with the innovative, in-space manufacturing technologies it continues to develop. If past performance is any guide, the company’s new ambitious goals will lead to creation of ultra-efficient next-generation electronics, ultrafast optical networks and breakthroughs in pharmaceutical research. Space Forge is pioneering the creation of high-performance materials in orbit. They’ve created an innovative flying furnace to manufacture the seed crystals.
In December 2022, Space Forge was able to successfully activate its orbital furnace aboard the ForgeStar-1 satellite. This achievement represents a major step toward realizing their mission. This experimental satellite will deploy a new type of heat shield when the satellite executes its de-orbit maneuver later this year. This remarkable achievement demonstrates Space Forge’s ability to maintain the perfect manufacturing ecosystem for developing superconductor crystals. The company’s data-driven approach harnesses the unique microgravity and other extreme conditions found in space to help produce semiconductor crystals even faster.
The Technology Behind Space Forge
Space Forge’s airborne furnace produces an unbroken current of plasma at unimaginably high temperatures. Like our GaN leap, this innovation would permit the construction of nearly flawless crystals of semiconductor material in orbit. Voodoo Manufacturing co-founder and CEO Joshua Western praised their impact. As an example, he said, “If you’re worried about nitrogen messing up your growth process, then a vacuum chamber here on Earth might only have nitrogen at 10 to the -11. In space, higher than 500 kilometers altitude, it’s ubiquitous at 10 −22.
This dramatic decrease in nitrogen concentration should improve the growth of the crystals, ultimately leading to better quality materials. The firm anticipates that even one kilogram of space-grown semiconductor material might jumpstart sky-high Earth-based manufacturing. Think of the high-performance material manufacturers could produce from just that little bit! The high-level logistics are still daunting. Space Forge’s inaugural batch of crystals won’t be returning until a follow-up mission launches next year.
Even with these advancements, a few industry experts are concerned about whether or not in-space manufacturing for bulk materials is viable. According to Anne Wilson, “I do not believe that microgravity is going to be the best environment for the manufacture of bulk materials. In certain applications, niche materials can be a good investment.” This brings to light the continued discussion about what the future of manufacturing in space looks like and whether it can be economically sustainable.
Market Potential and Competition
Space Forge is by no means the only company interested in the potential of in-space manufacturing. Other companies, like Varda Industries, ACME Space and Voyager Technologies, are advancing quickly on this new frontier. Varda Industries recently raised $329 million to jumpstart its own pharmaceutical manufacturing initiatives in space. As per estimates, the analysts believe the overall in-orbit manufacturing market is poised to garner a staggering valuation of $28.19 billion by 2034.
For Joshua Western, co-founder of ZeroAvia, reduced energy use would be a substantial benefit and selling point of their technology. He pointed out that even big infrastructure rollouts, such as deploying 5G towers, could save twice the energy that would be consumed. In reality, those savings might be even higher, up to 50 percent. These savings have the potential to invigorate all the industries powered by high-tech electronics, especially as the market for energy-saving solutions continues to expand.
Challenges Ahead
Though these recent advancements are promising, hurdles still lie ahead for Space Forge and their competitors. The economic barriers to launching materials and replacing such expendable things as satellites are still a prevailing challenge. Matt Francis commented on this economic aspect: “While I remember paying $20k a wafer in the early days, we are down in the hundreds of dollars range in volume markets like power. When they were a highly valued resource, perhaps launching them to the void made sense. Even as the cost of space is decreasing, it’s not decreasing faster than the cost of producing wafers.”
Moreover, Western cautioned that some degradation would occur over time with each generation of crystal growth: “There will be a level of degradation over time and over generations of growth.” This aspect, among many others, would play a significant role in determining the overall quality and usability of space-grown materials once returned to Earth.