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In Space Manufacturing

All articles tagged with #in space manufacturing

space2 months ago•3 min saved

SpaceX launches secret Starfall reentry demo for microgravity research

SpaceX launched the Starfall Demo mission from Cape Canaveral to test a new reentry capsule designed for in-space manufacturing and microgravity research; the flight focused on demonstrating controlled flight and a reentry splashdown in the Pacific, but the company offered few details and did not confirm recovery or future plans, with FAA filings indicating a ~2,100 kg spacecraft that could carry up to ~1,000 kg of payload. The mission marks SpaceX’s entry into the microgravity market alongside startups like Varda Space and ElevationSpace, potentially reshaping the sector.

via SpaceNews|

#in-space-manufacturing #microgravity #reentry

science2 months ago•45 min saved

SpaceX quietly tests Starfall, a saucer-shaped reentry capsule

SpaceX conducted a secretive test flight of a new saucer-shaped spacecraft called Starfall from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Marketed as a microgravity lab for in-space manufacturing and a rapid global delivery system, Starfall’s mission has sparked questions about military involvement given SpaceX’s defense contracts, with limited livestreaming and details on recovery and future availability remaining unclear.

via Yahoo|

#in-space-manufacturing #reentry-capsule #science

space2 months ago•98 min saved

Starfall Unveiled: SpaceX's Secretive New Return Capsule Explained

SpaceX's Starfall is a disk-shaped return capsule designed to carry about 1,000 kg of payload, lacks a traditional propulsion system, and uses an inert-gas attitude-control system to reenter and splash down in the Pacific via parachutes; FAA documentation notes two demonstration reentries with open-ocean splashdowns off the U.S. West Coast and capsule recovery. It can launch on Falcon 9 or Starship and aims to enable rapid point-to-point space cargo and a scalable in-space manufacturing market, a field also pursued by Varda Space and Outpost Space, with SpaceX targeting thousands of Starfall flights once Starship is fully online.

via Space|

#faa-environmental-assessment #in-space-manufacturing #return-capsule

technology2 months ago•1 min saved

SpaceX Debuts Starfall on First Test Flight for Microgravity Research and Rapid Space Cargo

SpaceX launched the Starfall capsule on its first test flight from Cape Canaveral, a compact two-section vehicle designed to provide microgravity access for research and potential rapid space cargo delivery; about 2,200 lb of payload capacity, it cannot deorbit itself (deorbits via a preset path or another spacecraft) and will splash down in the Pacific. The demo aims to prove affordable, routine microgravity access and hints at Pentagon interest for rapid deployment.

via Axios|

#in-space-manufacturing #microgravity #spacex

technology2 months ago•4 min saved

SpaceX tests Starfall: a new uncrewed reentry capsule for rapid space delivery

SpaceX launched an uncrewed Starfall reentry capsule on a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral to demonstrate reentry capabilities and explore concepts like rapid cargo delivery and in-space manufacturing; the mission details remain partly undisclosed, FAA documents indicate two Starfall reentries, and the capsules would be recovered in the Pacific, while the first stage booster landed on a drone ship.

via Spaceflight Now|

#falcon-9 #in-space-manufacturing #reentry-capsule

space2 months ago•9 min saved

SpaceX's Starfall Tests Target On-Orbit Manufacturing and Fast Cargo Returns

SpaceX has FAA approval to test two Starfall reentry capsules for in-space manufacturing and rapid space-to-Earth cargo delivery. The 3.1-meter diameter, 2,100-kilogram capsules would reenter from orbit on Falcon 9 or Starship and splash down at sea in the Pacific, carrying up to 1,000 kilograms; FAA documents outline the tests but provide no launch dates, highlighting Starfall's potential to enable a self-sustaining space manufacturing economy and competition with other space-based services.

via Interesting Engineering|

#faa #in-space-manufacturing #space

space2 months ago•4 min saved

FAA clears SpaceX Starfall reentry tests for in-space manufacturing and rapid cargo

The FAA issued an environmental assessment and a record of decision approving two Starfall reentry tests off the California/Mexico coast as SpaceX explores a mass-producible reentry capsule for in-space manufacturing and rapid space-to-Earth cargo delivery, with up to 1,000 kg payload, parachute descent, heat shield jettisoned before splashdown, and boat-based recovery; exact test dates and future missions were not disclosed.

via SpaceNews|

#faa #in-space-manufacturing #reentry

space5 months ago•3 min saved

TransAstra eyes 100-ton asteroid as a robotic space factory hub

TransAstra is studying the feasibility of moving a 100-ton asteroid into a stable near-Earth orbit to create a robotic outpost for materials processing and manufacturing in space, in a project called New Moon. The effort, with partners including UCF, Purdue, Caltech, and NASA JPL, would identify suitable asteroids, chart trajectories, and deploy spacecraft for rendezvous expected in 2028–2029, followed by hundreds of robotic missions through the 2030s to aggregate up to a million tons of asteroid material for space industrialization. The company has NASA funding for inflatable Capture Bags demonstrated in space and aims to enable in-space resources like metals and water to reduce Earth-launched requirements, advancing a broader asteroid-mining technology base.

via SpaceNews|

#asteroid-capture #asteroid-mining #in-space-manufacturing

technology7 months ago•44 min saved

Space Forge Opens the First Commercial In-Space Chip Factory

Space Forge has started operation of the first commercial semiconductor fabrication facility in space, marking a major milestone in off-Earth manufacturing and signaling potential advances in microgravity chip production, with broader implications for the space economy and advanced electronics.

via Space|

#in-space-manufacturing #semiconductors #space

space2 years ago•3 min saved

"Stunning Video: Private Space Capsule's Hypersonic Return to Earth"

Varda Space's private space capsule, part of the W-1 mission, successfully returned to Earth with space-grown crystals of the antiviral drug Ritonavir. The capsule, designed for in-space manufacturing, captured stunning footage of its reentry, reaching hypersonic speeds before landing in Utah. Varda aims to revolutionize in-space manufacturing by offering an autonomous capsule that serves as both a minifactory and a return vehicle, eliminating the need for human presence in low Earth orbit. The successful mission marks a significant step forward for Varda's ambitions in the nascent in-space manufacturing industry.

via Space.com|

#in-space-manufacturing #private-space-capsule #reentry

space-exploration2 years ago•2 min saved

"Varda's Space Capsule Returns to Earth with Space-Produced Pharmaceuticals Aboard"

Varda Space Industries' W-1 spacecraft successfully landed at the Utah Test and Training Range, capturing stunning reentry footage from separation in low Earth orbit to parachute deploy. The capsule, part of a Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft, was used to test in-space manufacturing technologies, producing ritonavir, an antiviral drug, in microgravity. Varda aims to make LEO more accessible to commercial industries and plans to share reentry data with NASA and the Air Force.

via ScienceAlert|

#in-space-manufacturing #reentry #rocket-lab-photon-spacecraft

space-technology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Varda Space Capsule Makes Historic Return to Earth with Space-Produced Pharmaceuticals"

Varda Space's in-space manufacturing capsule, containing crystals of the anti-viral medication Ritonavir grown in orbit, successfully returned to Earth, marking the third private company to recover an intact spacecraft from orbit. The capsule, which spent over seven months in space, will undergo post-mission analysis, and the drug will be studied in a pharmaceutical lab. Varda plans to pioneer the use of orbital manufacturing spacecraft to open unique pathways for engineering materials in space, leveraging the microgravity environment for material processing.

via Space.com|

#capsule-recovery #in-space-manufacturing #microgravity

space3 years ago•2 min saved

Successful In-Space Manufacturing Startup Conducts Groundbreaking Pharmaceutical Experiment in Orbit

California-based startup Varda Space Industries has successfully conducted its first space mission, growing crystals of the drug ritonavir in orbit. The miniature lab, launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, completed a 27-hour drug-manufacturing experiment and is now on track for a first-of-its-kind re-entry and landing in Utah. Varda aims to commercialize microgravity and build an industrial park in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The spacecraft, part of Varda's Winnebago series, will bring pharmaceutical research specimens back to Earth for analysis and eventual commercial use. The re-entry capsule will be protected by an ablative carbon-based heat shield material developed by NASA. The mission's return to Earth is scheduled for later this month.

via Ars Technica|

#in-space-manufacturing #low-earth-orbit #pharmaceutical-research