UK Company Sends Space-Based Factory With 1,000°C Furnace Into Orbit

A Cardiff-based technology company has taken a major step toward manufacturing materials in space after successfully sending a miniature factory into orbit and activating its high-temperature furnace.

Space Forge confirmed that the microwave-sized facility, launched aboard a SpaceX rocket earlier this summer, has demonstrated the ability to switch on its onboard furnace and reach temperatures of approximately 1,000°C while in space. The company aims to use the orbiting factory to produce advanced semiconductor materials that can later be returned to Earth for use in electronics, communications infrastructure, computing and transportation.

According to Space Forge, the conditions found in space offer a significant advantage for semiconductor production. In a weightless environment, atoms form highly ordered three-dimensional structures with near-perfect alignment. Combined with the vacuum of space, which prevents contamination, the process results in much purer materials than those produced on Earth.

“The work that we’re doing now is allowing us to create semiconductors up to 4,000 times purer in space than we can currently make here today,” said Space Forge chief executive Josh Western. He added that such materials could be used in critical technologies, including 5G infrastructure, electric vehicle charging systems and modern aircraft.

Since the launch, engineers have been monitoring and testing the factory’s systems from mission control in Cardiff. The company’s payload operations lead, Veronica Viera, said one of the most significant moments came when the spacecraft transmitted images from inside the furnace. The images showed plasma — gas heated to around 1,000°C — glowing inside the chamber.

“This is one of the core ingredients we need for in-space manufacturing,” Viera said, describing the moment as one of the most exciting of her career. “Being able to demonstrate this is a huge milestone.”

Building on the successful test, Space Forge is now planning a larger orbital factory capable of producing semiconductor material for up to 10,000 chips. The company is also preparing to test how the materials can be safely returned to Earth.

A future mission will include a specially designed heat shield, named Pridwen after the legendary shield of King Arthur, to protect the spacecraft during its high-temperature re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere.

Space Forge is not alone in exploring manufacturing beyond Earth. Other companies are investigating ways to produce pharmaceuticals and artificial tissues in orbit. Libby Jackson, head of space at the Science Museum, said in-space manufacturing is already moving from theory to reality.

“It’s early days, and we’re seeing this done at small scales,” she said. “But proving the technology opens the door to economically viable products made in space that can return to Earth and benefit people everywhere.”

The successful activation of Space Forge’s orbital furnace marks a significant milestone in the growing field of space-based manufacturing, bringing the idea of factories beyond Earth closer to practical use.