Space Forge sends a semiconductor factory into orbit

The Cardiff-based company has successfully generated plasma aboard ForgeStar-1, its autonomous manufacturing satellite in low Earth orbit, confirming it can create and control the extreme environment required for gas-phase crystal growth — a core building block of semiconductor production. 

Space Forge brains believe it’s a world-first for commercial in-space manufacturing, and crucially, it’s not happening inside a crewed lab like the International Space Station. This is a free-flying commercial manufacturing tool operating on its own, in orbit.  

What actually happened up there?

Space manufacturing isn’t Total Recall-esque science fiction. It’s the tangible aim to turn ‘space as a lab’ into ‘space as a production line’ with the advances helping us mere mortals down here on Earth.

ForgeStar-1’s breakthrough, achieved by firing up an onboard furnace system at around 1,000 degrees Celsius, paves the way for autonomous operations in microgravity. In plain terms, if you want to grow certain advanced semiconductor crystals, you need a very particular set of conditions.

The target is to produce materials that underpin high-performance electronics, advanced communications, quantum systems, defence platforms, and the next generation of computers. That includes gallium nitride, silicon carbide, aluminium nitride and diamond.

Producing these materials on Earth at the extreme purity and structural perfection demanded can be tricky due to so many variables, but space changes the rules. In orbit, microgravity, ultra-high vacuum and stable thermal conditions form the bedrock for better versions than terrestrial equivalents. 

“Generating plasma on orbit represents a fundamental shift; it proves that the essential environment for advanced crystal growth can be achieved on a dedicated, commercial satellite,  opening the door to a completely new manufacturing frontier,” says Joshua Western, CEO and co-founder of Space Forge.

Rather than making existing chips somewhere unusual, the breakthrough aims to unlock materials’ performance and bring those gains back into everything from EV charging and data centres, to communications infrastructure.  

When Space Forge appeared at FOS Future Lab presented by Randox last year, its proposition was already unusually concrete — not just “space is exciting,” but space can be a place where things are made because the environment is inherently better for certain processes.

Don’t call it a comeback

Space Forge may have developed a reusable satellite, but to be precise, ForgeStar-1 will not be returning to Earth. The company says the mission will conclude in a monitored, controlled end-of-life scenario as it naturally decays, positioned as a deliberate test of safe satellite demise, and a stepping stone toward reusable, returnable missions.

The longer-term vision is a hybrid model to grow space-made seed crystals in orbit, return them, then scale and process on Earth, complementing supply chains rather than replacing them. 

Whether Space Forge will be returning to the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard is a another question, but for now, you can secure your tickets for 2026 here.

Randox is a global leader in diagnostics, revolutionising patient outcomes through innovative technologies, including its patented biochip technology. This pioneering diagnostic platform allows for the simultaneous detection of multiple biomarkers from a single sample, delivering faster, more accurate, and comprehensive results. Operating in over 145 countries, Randox develops advanced laboratory instruments, high-quality reagents, and innovative testing solutions to improve global healthcare.

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Together, Randox and Randox Health are redefining diagnostics and preventative healthcare. For more information, visit www.randox.com and www.randoxhealth.com.