UK Tech Start-Up Space Forge to Send Orbital Fabricator On First Test Flight

The SpaceForge satellite will be sent aboard Cosmic Girl as part of a broader joint UK-US mission to open the country's first domestic space port in summer 2022, taking off from Spaceport Cornwall in the UK. 

Space Forge has made a point of their selection of Virgin Orbit, believing the duo makes for an "ideal marriage for an initial launch from the UK." Virgin orbit has always had a decidedly environmentally friendly attitude towards launch operations, which dovetailes nicely into Forge's ideals that "the next industrial revolution won't occur on Earth, but in space". Their claim to fame is their small satellite vehicle concept, the ForgeStar. It can be deployed from conventional launchers to provide rapid, reliable, and reusable in-space infrastructure. 

The ForgeStar platform is a small, deployable system designed to complete some manufacturing or fabrication process while in microgravity. The satellite aims to take advantage of the conditions found in space to create more pure, uniform composites and alloys. Once complete, the ForgeStar is designed to return to Earth with its newly created payload. The Virgin Orbit launch will see the first operational test of the system, taking up ForgeStar-0 to evaluate how well the current 'return from space' technology works. 

“We at Virgin Orbit are delighted to have been chosen to move Space Forge forward in their space journey as we look forward to our inaugural Cornwall launch. Space Forge is joining the growing community of space innovators advancing space technologies for the betterment of our world,” said Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart. “Their commitment to sustainability builds a foundation for future growth in the industry that we at Virgin Orbit are proud to be part of.” 

Joshua Western, CEO of Space Forge said their excitement is palpable. “We’re thrilled to be making UK history with our first launch. We will demonstrate the use of space for good through in-space manufacturing and reliable return and it's brilliant that both Virgin Orbit and Spaceport Cornwall share our ambitions. This is the start of a great collaboration and we are so excited to see where it goes.”

FMI: www.spaceforge.co.uk, www.virginorbit.com