Space Forge to pioneer semiconductor manufacturing in space with first satellite launch in 2025

UK start-up Space Forge has received $30 million in Series A funding to bolster its efforts to create and launch a manufacturing satellite that can be used to create unique materials for semiconductors and quantum computing.

The company announced its £22.6 million funding round – the largest Series A figure for a UK space tech company – in a press release. The company says the funds will accelerate the development of its second-generation satellite ForgeStar-2 and facilitate the launch of its inaugural manufacturing satellite, ForgeStar-1.

Space Forge's vision says the company "is unlocking the ability to manufacture materials that are impossible to produce on Earth" by harnessing the unique conditions of space-including microgravity, vacuum, and extreme temperature differentials.

Space Forge says the advancements "have wide-reaching applications in semiconductors, quantum computing, clean energy, and defence technologies." Furthermore, the company says these missions "will demonstrate a scalable, reusable platform for manufacturing high-performance materials in space-delivering breakthroughs for security, clean energy, and infrastructure."

Space Forge elsewhere says the materials "are expected to deliver substantial performance improvements across high-value sectors," while also potentially reducing CO2 emissions by up to 75% in infrastructure, including data centers.

The company's US subsidiary, Space Forge Inc., is seeking "to revolutionise domestic semiconductor manufacturing and bolster national supply chain resilience in line with the CHIPS and Science Act."

Space Forge Inc. President Michelle Flemming has previously said the company is committed to building "an integrated, end-to-end semiconductor capability in the U.S."

Daria Saharova, General Partner at World Fund – one of the backers in the latest funding round – noted the current strong reliance on Taiwan for the world's most advanced semiconductors, and the "catastrophic consequences" that would follow a geopolitical escalation in the region.

Space Forge's first manufacturing satellite (returnable for repeat missions) will launch its first in-orbit demonstration mission in 2025.

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