Space Forge Completes First Commercial Semiconductor Manufacturing in Orbit
Milestone Demonstrates Microgravity Production of Advanced Chips
UK based company Space Forge has successfully completed the world’s first commercial semiconductor manufacturing experiment in orbit, marking a historic milestone for both the space and advanced manufacturing industries.
The breakthrough demonstration confirms that semiconductor materials can be produced and processed in the unique conditions of microgravity, unlocking performance characteristics that are difficult or impossible to achieve on Earth. The experiment was conducted aboard an orbital platform and safely returned, validating Space Forge’s end to end manufacturing and recovery model.
Microgravity manufacturing offers significant advantages for advanced semiconductors, including improved crystal uniformity, reduced defects, and enhanced thermal and electrical properties. These attributes are increasingly critical for next generation applications such as high performance computing, artificial intelligence acceleration, quantum technologies, and advanced power electronics.
Space Forge said the successful mission establishes the technical foundation for scalable, repeatable space based manufacturing. By leveraging orbital conditions, the company aims to deliver ultra high performance chips while reducing material waste and energy intensity compared with traditional terrestrial processes.
Industry observers view the achievement as a potential inflection point for semiconductor innovation, particularly as demand rises for specialised chips that push the limits of physics. Space based production could complement Earth based fabs by focusing on high value, performance critical components rather than mass volume manufacturing.
With this milestone, Space Forge positions the United Kingdom at the forefront of a new industrial frontier, demonstrating how space infrastructure can be integrated into global semiconductor supply chains. The company plans further missions to expand manufacturing capabilities and move towards commercial scale production in orbit.
