Overview
- Space Forge confirmed plasma generation aboard ForgeStar-1, validating key conditions for semiconductor crystal growth in low Earth orbit.
- The onboard furnace reached roughly 1,000°C, and the team in Cardiff received an internal image showing glowing plasma.
- Operating on a free-flying, uncrewed satellite rather than the ISS, the approach is designed for autonomous, repeatable manufacturing flights.
- The company aims to produce ultra-pure materials such as gallium nitride, silicon carbide, aluminium nitride and diamond for power electronics, communications, defense and high-performance computing, with a claimed purity gain of up to 4,000 times.
- Next steps include mapping plasma behavior in microgravity and testing the deployable Pridwen heat shield and on-orbit aerodynamic control during ForgeStar-1’s planned demise, informing a larger craft targeting material for about 10,000 chips per flight.