Welsh spacetech company Space Forge has successfully launched ForgeStar®-1, the UK’s first in-space manufacturing satellite, developed entirely in Wales.
ForgeStar-1 launched aboard the Transporter-14 rideshare mission from SpaceX’s facilities at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
In the hours that followed the satellite successfully activated and made contact with the Space Forge Mission Operations Centre in Cardiff, UK.
Space Forge is pioneering a clean industrial revolution by leveraging space as a manufacturing platform for next-generation super materials and advanced semiconductors. With fully returnable satellites,
Space Forge offers a scalable solution to manufacture and return materials that are difficult or impossible to produce on Earth. Headquartered in Cardiff, UK, with operations in Florida, US, Space Forge is leading the charge in advancing semiconductor markets and supporting sovereign technological and economic objectives.
This successful launch marks the completion of more than four years of design, testing and regulatory milestones.
The ForgeStar-1 satellite was built and qualified in-house by Space Forge’s Cardiff team. It became the first UK satellite to receive an in-space manufacturing licence from the UK Civil Aviation Authority and was shipped across the Atlantic for integration and launch.
The launch marks a major breakthrough for British-built space hardware and the next chapter in in-space industrial capability. It is the first time the UK has sent a spacecraft into orbit with the purpose of producing new materials in the unique conditions of space. Space Forge will also validate their re-entry technology that will eventually bring these materials home.
The team now need to give the satellite a complete health checkout and once complete ForgeStar-1 will move into the most ambitious phase of the mission: igniting the forge in space.
This first-of-its-kind in-orbit manufacturing demonstration is designed to prove the viability of producing advanced materials in the unique environment of space. The conditions in low Earth orbit offer advantages that are simply unattainable on Earth - from microgravity to ultra-clean vacuum conditions - and pave the way for scalable, returnable space-based manufacturing in the near future.
According to Joshua Western, CEO and co-founder, Space Forge:
“We’ve built and launched Britain’s first manufacturing satellite and it’s alive in orbit, that’s a massive technical achievement. Now, we take the next step: proving that we can create the right environment for manufacturing in space. This is the start of a new era for materials science and industrial capability.”
ForgeStar-1’s manufacturing platform, once fully operational, will enable Space Forge to test manufacturing techniques for next-generation semiconductors.
As ForgeStar-1 completes its payload objectives, the mission will shift focus to testing a suite of pioneering return-enabling technologies. This includes the deployment of Pridwen, Space Forge’s proprietary heat shield; on-orbit aerodynamic control to steer and decelerate the satellite; and real-time orbital tracking paired with predictive re-entry mapping using the company’s Aether software.
Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, which has previously supported Space Forge with funding, said:
“This isn’t just another satellite - it’s a testament to British engineering and our commitment to developing in-space manufacturing technologies that can benefit life here on Earth.”
The mission will culminate in a deliberately planned safe atmospheric demise, proving that even in the event of re-entry system failure, the satellite would fully disintegrate, setting a new standard for responsible space operations.
While ForgeStar-1 won’t return to Earth, its mission will provide the critical test data, telemetry, and confidence needed to unlock future manufacturing missions - ones that will forge materials in space and bring them home.
Lead image: Space Forge.
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