UK backs in orbit production of high value materials

by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Feb 17, 2026
The UK Space Agency has placed three new study contracts with British companies to assess how advanced materials could be manufactured in Low Earth Orbit for use back on Earth. The projects focus on life-saving medicines, high performance optical fibre and next generation semiconductor materials, all produced using the unique environment of space.

In orbit manufacturing can exploit microgravity, high vacuum and extreme temperature conditions that are difficult or expensive to reproduce on Earth. The government has identified in orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing, known as ISAM, as a priority capability for UK leadership, economic growth and national security. Each study will test technical feasibility, mature key technologies and map out credible commercial routes to market.

Space Minister Liz Lloyd said that space is not just about exploration but innovation that improves daily life. She highlighted that these studies show how UK expertise can use space conditions to advance life-saving medicines and advanced materials, while building the jobs and industries of tomorrow and reinforcing the UK as a global space economy leader.

BioOrbit Ltd has received 250,000 pounds for the PHARM study, which will design an end-to-end mission to manufacture drugs in microgravity. In weightlessness, protein crystals can grow more perfectly and reproducibly than on Earth, which can improve drug formulations and enable some cancer treatments to be administered at home. BioOrbit is working with relevant regulators so that medicines produced in space can be approved under the same framework as Earth-manufactured drugs.

Space Forge Ltd has secured 300,000 pounds for its 2Forge2Furious study, aimed at demonstrating commercial production of semiconductor seed crystals in orbit. The company plans to exploit the stability and purity of the space environment to grow higher quality crystals than are typically possible on Earth. The goal is to boost the efficiency, reliability and power density of high power electronics used in telecommunications, data centres, electric vehicle charging and quantum computing.

OrbiSky Ltd has been awarded 295,000 pounds for the SkyYield study, which will design a payload to process ZBLAN fluoride glass in microgravity. ZBLAN is a specialist optical fibre material that can transmit light with up to 100 times less signal loss than conventional silica fibre, offering major potential for long distance telecommunications and high quality medical imaging. The SkyYield work will define process controls and verification steps needed to manufacture ultra-low-loss ZBLAN fibre at commercial scale in orbit.

UK Space Agency Chief Executive Dr Paul Bate said that supporting these companies to explore manufacturing in orbit positions the UK to capture emerging markets and deliver tangible benefits on Earth. He noted that the studies reflect the government's ambition to advance one of the most dynamic frontiers in space technology, from improved medicines to more efficient electronics.

The new investment comes through the agency's Sustainability and ISAM programme and its Unlocking Space portfolio. Unlocking Space supports growth in the UK space sector by removing systemic barriers and increasing demand, investment readiness and public sector adoption of space-based services and technologies. In this case, it includes engagement with public and private end users of microgravity-manufactured pharmaceuticals and work to identify interventions that could help bring such products to market.

BioOrbit Chief Executive Dr Katie King said that space made pharmaceuticals will have a dramatic impact on everyday life, and that PHARM is designed to ensure drugs produced in space can meet the same regulatory standards as those produced on Earth. She described this objective as a world first.

Space Forge Chief Executive and Co-Founder Josh Western said the company is pleased to contribute to a national effort to place the UK at the forefront of in space manufacturing. He said the UK Space Agency has recognised the potential of this sector and that the new contract signals strong support for innovation and growth. Western added that Space Forge has already proven key aspects of its technology with the ForgeStar-1 mission, which generated plasma on a commercial free flying platform for the first time, and that the new study will move the company closer to commercial operations.

OrbiSky Chief Executive Sylvester Kaczmarek said that SkyYield aims to turn the unique conditions of microgravity into practical capability. With UK Space Agency backing, OrbiSky plans to define a complete payload concept for manufacturing ultra-low-loss ZBLAN optical fibre in orbit, including the process controls and verification needed for commercial adoption. He said this work is a key step toward new UK-led markets in space manufacturing with clear benefits for telecommunications and medical imaging.