A plant producing premium materials hundreds of kilometers above Earth sounds like something out of science fiction. However, a Cardiff-based business is getting closer to realizing this.
Space Forge has launched a factory the size of a microwave into orbit and shown that its furnace can be turned on to reach temperatures of about 1,000 degrees Celsius. They intend to produce semiconductor materials that can be utilized in electronics for transportation, computer, and communications infrastructure back on Earth.
Space conditions are perfect for creating semiconductors, which are composed of atoms arranged in a highly ordered three-dimensional structure. Those atoms line up precisely when they are produced in a weightless environment. Additionally, pollutants cannot enter space due to its vacuum. A semiconductor performs better when it is more organized and pure.
According to Josh Western, CEO of Space Forge, “the work that we’re doing now is allowing us to create semiconductors up to 4,000 times purer in space than we can currently make here today.
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