Marco Giulio Barone is Editor-in-Chief of Military Technology. Costs for heavy launches in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) have fallen from $65,000 per kilogram to $3-4,000 per kilogram as a consequence of the so-called “Musk effect” that makes space more accessible to private operators. This trend triggers greater appetite for more and diverse services from orbit. Manufacturing in space is one of the most intriguing. Ideas from Israel At the 18th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference, held in Tel Aviv on January 31 and February 1, the panel Manufacturing in Space - Preparation for the Industrial revolution from space brought together five companies working on futuristic space projects envisaging the relocation of production activities from Earth to space, namely Think Orbital, Sierra Space, Axiom, The Exploration Company, and Space Pharma. Think Orbital is working on a large scalable autonomously assemble infrastructure in outer space. In the company’s view, a single SpaceX Starship launch could put in orbit a facility as large as four times the volume of the International Space Station (ISS). To do that, Think Orbital is teaming with other companies like Axiom and Sierra Space. The first step will be providing additional space for existing space stations, thus resulting in large volumes for experimentation. The ThinkPlatform-1 project envisages a cylindrical 8.5m large pressurizable module offering a 300m3 volume for storage, fuel depot, and entertainment. In a second phase, the three companies envisage to offer large manufacturing facilities in space. For example, the Think Orbital’s ThinkPlatform-2 could reach a 20m diameter and offer a 4,000m3 volume for On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM). The final frontier would be the ThinkPlatoform-4, which would combine existing platforms into commercial hubs also including facilities to work and live in space for a small community of a few hundred individuals. The idea has been welcomed by Space Pharma, a company betting on the production of medicines in space. The company’s goal is to leverage the miniaturized microgravity lab technology, enabling unprecedented possibilities to develop new drugs in space. All this at a fraction of the cost, with higher success rates than experiments conducted with traditional research methods. What exists, already The idea of manufacturing from space is closer to reality than one may expect. Some companies already possess the know how to build large space operations. This is the case of Axiom Space, which already operates missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for customers, including space agencies, companies, and individuals. Axiom Space is also the builder and future owner and operator of Axiom Station, the successor to the ISS. In 2022, Axiom Space achieved significant, historic milestones, with the successful first-ever private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and the announcement of the second private astronaut mission to the ISS in Spring 2023. These private astronaut missions are laying the foundation for Axiom Station, preparing teams to operate and maintain a commercially available innovation platform in LEO as the successor to the ISS by 2030. The company has been involved with every ISS mission since the program’s inception over two decades ago and has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the top 50 World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023. In addition, Axiom Space has signed space support agreements with several nations including Italy, Hungary, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and the Netherlands. The Exploration Company opens to military use, too German company The Exploration Company GmbH (and its French subsidiary) is developing Nyx, a modular and reusable orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit. According to the company’s official literature, the technical bricks of Nyx are built with open interfaces: they are available on a SpaceStore to enable space & non-space companies to use them and develop new applications. Nyx would provide a wide scope of missions ranging from resupplying space stations and coming back to Earth to free flying six months around the Earth (and coming back) or to landing on the Moon (and coming back). At the Space Conference, Helene Huby, co-founder and CEO, also envisaged some military utility. For instance, military stockpiles could be launched in orbit and, when needed, recalled on Earth and land next to troops needing urgent resupplies. As the composition of the panel suggests, Nyx may be part of broader space-based infrastructure including factories, maintenance and repairing facilities for satellites and spacecraft, intermediate warehouses between the Earth and the Moon, and much more. The panel Manufacturing in Space - Preparation for the Industrial revolution from space during the 18th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference. (Photo: Marco Giulio Barone) Final Frontiers – Emerging technologies observatory Marco Giulio Barone Manufacturing in Space Space logistics for civil and (maybe) military applications Emerging Technologies Artist’s impression of a ThinkPlatform-2 in the deployment phase, when robotic arms put together the different components previously packed in a Starship launcher. (Photo: Think Orbital) f
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