UK company launches futuristic space factory with blazing 1,000°C furnace to revolutionize manufacturing

DCM Editorial Summary: This story has been independently rewritten and summarised for DCM readers to highlight key developments relevant to the region. Original reporting by BBC, click this post to read the original article.

Tony Jolliffe/BBC News

Imagine a factory floating hundreds of kilometers above Earth, producing ultra-pure materials in space. That’s exactly what Space Forge, a company based in Cardiff, is working on. They’ve already launched a microwave-sized factory into orbit and successfully ignited a furnace that reaches 1,000°C. Their focus is on creating semiconductors—vital components for electronics used in 5G networks, electric vehicle chargers, and airplanes.

In space, manufacturing conditions are ideal. Weightlessness allows atoms in semiconductors to align perfectly, and the vacuum prevents contamination. According to Josh Western, CEO of Space Forge, this results in semiconductors up to 4,000 times purer than those made on Earth, significantly improving performance and efficiency in various technologies.

Since launching their mini-factory aboard a SpaceX rocket in the summer, the team has been testing it remotely from Cardiff. One highlight was receiving an image from inside the furnace, showing glowing plasma. Veronica Viera, the company’s payload operations lead, described the moment as one of the most exciting of her life, marking a critical step in developing space-based manufacturing.

Looking ahead, Space Forge plans to build a larger factory in space capable of producing materials for 10,000 chips. A key challenge they’ll tackle next is safely returning these products to Earth, using a specially designed heat shield named Pridwen. Their work is part of a growing field, with other companies also exploring space manufacturing for items like medicines and artificial tissues.

As Libby Jackson from the Science Museum notes, you’re witnessing the early stages of in-space manufacturing becoming a practical option. By proving this technology, these innovations could soon deliver real benefits here on Earth—making space not just a place to explore, but a place to create.