The Future of In-Space Manufacturing and Recovery: Space Forge's Mission

Founded in 2018, Space Forge, a U.K.-based company, has developed the world’s only dedicated relaunchable supermaterials manufacturing satellite called Forge Star, with soft-descent and high-precision landing capabilities.

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A soft landing can be achieved by ForgeStar through the utilization of a new heat shield and a water vehicle.

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Space Forge has designed a new heat shield called 'Pridwen', which is large enough to dissipate heat generated during atmospheric events.

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Constructed using a high-temperature alloy, the Pridwen is designed to fold during launch and uphold itself upon the spacecraft’s return to Earth.

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Andrew Bacon, Space Forge’s co-founder and chief technology officer, has said that ablative heat shields are outdated technology.

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Space Forge aims to distinguish itself from competitors by moving away from ablative heat shields.

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The company has also developed an unscrewed water vehicle named 'Fielder' to catch and softly land the ForgeStar spacecraft.

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The initial focus of Space Forge’s ForgeStar, a small-class vehicle with up to 6 months of deployable orbit time, will be the production of semiconductor, alloy, and biological materials.

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With participation from other investors, including Space VC and Starbridge Venture Capital, a seed round of $10.2 million has been raised by Space Forge, led by Space Fund, Type One Venture, and World Fund.

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