A significant milestone was achieved as Space Forge activated a manufacturing furnace aboard its satellite, ForgeStar-1, successfully generating plasma in low Earth orbit. This achievement establishes the necessary conditions for producing semiconductor materials in space, a groundbreaking development that could lead to the creation of crystals up to 4,000 times purer than those made on Earth.
Launched on June 27, 2025, via SpaceX’s Transporter-14 mission, ForgeStar-1 marks the first in-space manufacturing satellite for the UK. The company's CEO, Joshua Western, emphasized that this plasma demonstration signifies a fundamental shift in manufacturing capabilities, allowing for advanced crystal growth in a commercial satellite environment.
The absence of gravity facilitates the alignment of atoms in a more ordered manner, which is unattainable on Earth due to convection effects. Space Forge's ambition includes manufacturing semiconductor materials for various applications, including electronics and communications infrastructure. Following its successful mission, ForgeStar-1 is set to disintegrate upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, having tested a new heat shield called Pridwen for future satellite variants.