Space Forge, a UK-based space manufacturing startup founded in 2018, is making major strides. They’re using these space-based materials to produce next-generation electronics, ultrafast optical networks, and to accomplish breakthroughs in the race for new pharmaceuticals. Co-founded and led by CEO Joshua Western, the company has launched into a highly ambitious course. They use the unique properties of microgravity to try and revolutionize manufacturing.
The ForgeStar-1 satellite is designed for an ultimate purpose: it will perish upon its return to Earth. Notably, it’s the inaugural batch of Space Forge’s space-grown crystals. A follow-up mission, tentatively slated to launch next year, will return them safely home. The company’s goal is to cultivate vast amounts of high-performance materials from small starting inputs, leveraging the benefits offered by space environments.
The Science Behind Space-Grown Crystals
Space Forge’s portable re-entry flying furnace would make native structure seed crystals. These crystals are key to manufacturing gallium and aluminum nitride or silicon carbide substrates. These materials are the key enablers for high-performance power devices. This unique opportunity to grow such materials in microgravity allows the company to solve problems that can’t be solved on Earth.
Western added that crystals accumulate quite a bit around the reactor’s interior on Earth. This occurs due to the effect of gravity and their interaction with the dynamics of heating and cooling within that region. He illustrated on how microgravity removes the confusing interference of gravity, to create a more unified crystal growth process.
“Microgravity effectively prevents convection from taking place, so you get a continually uniform deposition area.” – Joshua Western
This uniformity is very important as one of the desired outcomes are high-quality crystals that can greatly improve electronic devices. Space Forge takes advantage of microgravity to overcome the difficulties of growing high quality crystals on Earth. They work to make the entire process more efficient.
Economic Implications of In-Orbit Manufacturing
The potential for in-orbit manufacturing is vast. According to market analysts, the in-orbit manufacturing industry has the potential to grow to an estimated $28.19 billion by 2034. Space Forge is at the forefront of this burgeoning growth. They’re not the only ones — other companies such as Varda Industries, ACME Space, and Voyager Technologies are exploring space-based production possibilities.
SpaceX is the 800-pound gorilla in the booming space market. With a price tag of about $1,500 per kilogram, they bring low-cost launches to low Earth orbit as well. This pricing model allowed companies like Space Forge to exist. Like any manufacturer, their goal is efficient production, minimizing costs while maximizing output quality.
Western was especially encouraged by the potential energy savings from utilizing space-grown materials. “There is potential for significant energy savings, perhaps as much as 50 percent within large infrastructure installations such as [5G] towers,” he stated. The potential market impact of those cost savings, and the knock-on performance advantages in electronics, have the potential to upend entire technology sectors.
“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
This new frontier of space manufacturing is expected to have revolutionary developments within various industries here on Earth. It will allow them to take advantage of far more efficient and effective technologies.
Challenges and Future Prospects
So while the future for space-grown materials seems bright, there are still significant hurdles. Anne Wilson, an industry specialist and stakeholder, warned against setting unrealistic expectations about the advantages of microgravity on the creation of bulk materials. “I don’t think that microgravity is going to be ideal for the manufacture of bulk materials,” she stated. Maybe, she said, niche materials designed for niche applications would make enough of a case to invest in this still-nascent industry.
Matt Francis spoke to the need for cost to be considered. “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,” he remarked. He went on to focus on how the cost of launching things into space is decreasing. Even if it is, perhaps that’s not fast enough against the backdrop of traditional wafer production methods going down at a freefalling rate.
With additional tests planned, Space Forge continues to prepare as it moves towards its goal of producing advanced materials in orbit. The corporation remains steadfastly positive about navigating through those challenges to come. The team is dedicated to showing that microgravity can produce better outcomes than traditional manufacturing methods down on Earth.