Space Forge Tests World’s First Commercial Semiconductor Factory in Space

In space, the first commercial fabrication of a semiconductor on the planet has been opened by the British startup Space Forge (founded in 2018). In December 2025, its mini satellite ForgeStar-1 was launched, and an onboard furnace in low orbit produced plasma (a stream of superheated gas). This success indicates that it is possible to grow semiconductor crystals under weightlessness, and that might one day see chips that are far cleaner and more efficient than those made on Earth. This invention would be groundbreaking in the electronics of the future.

First In-Orbit Factory Test

According to reports, Space Forge launched its ForgeStar-1 satellite in June 2025. By December, the craft's mini-furnace reached about 1,000°C to ignite plasma in orbit. This proves that the conditions needed to grow semiconductor crystals can be created on a small satellite. The company calls ForgeStar-1 “the first free-flying commercial semiconductor manufacturing tool ever operated in space”. ForgeStar-1 will continue tests during its mission, which ends in a planned reentry burn-up, while engineers use the data to refine future flights.

Why Make Semiconductors in Space?

Orbit's microgravity and vacuum offer ideal conditions for crystal growth. Without gravity, molten material stays still, letting atoms align in an ultra-ordered lattice. Space Forge says space-grown crystals can be thousands of times purer than Earth-made ones. Its target materials—special semiconductor crystals such as gallium nitride, silicon carbide, or even diamond—could outperform Earth-made chips, cutting device energy use by up to ~60%. Space Forge's long-term vision is to return space-grown crystal “seeds” to Earth for final processing, creating a hybrid manufacturing model.The successful plasma test shows that microgravity can enable ultra-pure crystal growth, opening the door to more efficient space-made chips.