SpaceX launches UK satellite to make semiconductors in space with 'space-derived crystal seeds'

Space Forge confirms successful launch and in-orbit communication with ForgeStar-1, the UK's first in-space manufacturing satellite.

SpaceX launches UK satellite to make semiconductors in space with 'space-derived crystal seeds'
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Gaming Editor
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TL;DR: UK startup Space Forge launched ForgeStar-1, the nation's first in-space manufacturing satellite, via SpaceX to produce semiconductors using space's unique conditions. Designed in Cardiff, this prototype aims to advance materials science and industrial capabilities by leveraging space-derived crystal seeds for advanced chip fabrication.

UK-based startup Space Forge has successfully had its ForgeStar-1 satellite launched into orbit with the help of Elon Musk's SpaceX, with Space Forge to make semiconductors in space.

SpaceX launches UK satellite to make semiconductors in space with 'space-derived crystal seeds' 907
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ForgeStar-1 is now the UK's first-ever in-space manufacturing satellite, which will build semiconductors (computer chips) in space, with the satellite designed entirely in-house in Cardiff, Wales, and launched into space as part of SpaceX's recent Transporter-14 rideshare mission. The satellite waited for approvals in the United States since April, before entering orbit today.

Joshua Western, CEO and co-founder of Space Forge explains: "We've built and launched Britain's first manufacturing satellite and it's alive in orbit, that's a massive technical achievement. Now, we take the next step: proving that we can create the right environment for manufacturing in space. This is the start of a new era for materials science and industrial capability".

The new in-space manufacturing field is something quite new, where it will utilize the characteristics of outer space and/or low-Earth orbit (LEO) to use fabrication methods for semiconductors that aren't available here on the ground. Space Forge has some goals to make semiconductors for data centers, quantum computers, and military use cases using "space-derived crystal seeds".

Space Forge will use the unlimited vacuum and sub-zero temperatures of space for manufacturing, and then returning the semiconductors back down to Earth for packaging. The new ForgeStar-1 satellite won't be bringing the chips it makes back to Earth at the completion of its chip-making mission, rather it acts as a proof-of-concept and prototype for a bunch of technologies engineered by Space Forge, with the ForgeStar-1 satellite tasked with running through the successful application of key technologies for in-space manufacturing, and then it'll end its mission in a huge fireball... yes, a fireball.

Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, which has previously supported Space Forge with funding, said: "This isn't just another satellite - it's a testament to British engineering and our commitment to developing in-space manufacturing technologies that can benefit life here on Earth".

Dr. Bate continues: "ForgeStar-1 exemplifies how the UK space sector is pushing boundaries in sustainable space technology, with its ability to return to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. This approach aligns directly with our ambitions to develop environmentally responsible access to space while creating high-skilled jobs across the UK. I'm immensely proud of the Space Forge team in Cardiff, and all those who supported this mission, demonstrating that the UK space sector is thriving and ready to tackle the opportunities and challenges of the future".