Space Forge puts UK at forefront of in-space manufacturing

In a milestone moment for the UK space and advanced materials science sectors, Cardiff-based Space Forge has shipped ForgeStar-1 - made in Wales and the UK’s first In-Space Advanced Manufacturing (ISAM) mission – to the USA ahead of launch later this year. As a next generation materials manufacturer, Space Forge is harnessing the unmatched conditions of space — microgravity, extreme temperatures, and a vacuum environment – to produce materials that are impossible to make on Earth.

These advancements have wide-reaching applications in semiconductors, quantum computing, clean energy, and defence technologies. Research suggests that manufacturing these materials in space could reduce CO₂ emissions by 75% in high-value infrastructure — delivering breakthroughs in security, defence, and climate-focused innovation.

ForgeStar-1 will also test the mechanics of the Pridwen shield — Space Forge’s innovative heat shield designed to facilitate safe, reusable satellite re-entry. This historic mission follows Space Forge becoming the first company to be granted a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licence for ISAM, cementing its leadership in the field and unlocking a new era of sustainable, scalable manufacturing in orbit. ForgeStar-1 will prove that high-performance semiconductor materials can be manufactured in space and safely returned to Earth.

Space-made materials
Joshua Western, CEO and co-founder of Space Forge, said: “This is the moment we have been working towards. This upcoming in-orbit mission is more than just a test flight – it is a critical step toward building an entire infrastructure that can support us back on Earth with space-made materials. With this mission laying the groundwork, the next is all systems go for commercial manufacturing – returning materials that will transform entire industries.”

Rebecca Evans, the Welsh government’s cabinet secretary for economy, energy and planning, said: “Space Forge is a real space success story, providing more than 70 highly skilled technical roles and supporting another 1,000 in the immediate supply chain, and we are delighted to be supporting the company to realise its huge ambitions. It was fascinating to see the ongoing work at Space Forge recently and I wish them the best of luck for the launch of ForgeStar-1.”