WASHINGTON — Sierra Space announced Dec. 4 agreements with two companies to study the use of its Dream Chaser vehicle and space station technology to support microgravity manufacturing.
Sierra Space said it signed memoranda of understanding with Astral Materials and Space Forge Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of U.K.-based Space Forge Ltd., to examine the use of Sierra Space’s technology for semiconductor development in space.
“At Sierra Space, our mission is to create a LEO economy that benefits life on Earth, and these new agreements bring us one step closer,” Tom Vice, chief executive of Sierra Space, said in a statement. “To create a strong space economy, we must harness microgravity, and to do that, it’s important to build relationships with commercial companies that have the top expertise in their respective technological fields.”
Both Astral Materials and Space Forge are early-stage companies pursuing technologies to manufacture semiconductors in microgravity. Advocates of semiconductor development in microgravity argue that the environment can allow for improved production of semiconductor crystals.
“The benefits of semiconductor manufacturing in LEO are clear. Earth’s gravitational forces pose substantial barriers to quick, high-yield semiconductor production,” concluded a report from a 2023 workshop on semiconductor manufacturing in orbit led by Jessica Frick, then of Stanford University and now chief executive of Astral Materials.
“Our technology utilizes microgravity as a manufacturing tool that can only be accessed in space,” Frick said in a statement about the partnership with Sierra Space. “This partnership with Sierra Space is a fantastic opportunity that allows us to focus on our strength: microgravity crystal growth.”
Under the agreement, Astral Materials will work with Sierra Space on designing projects that could be flown on Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser vehicle. The agreement could also include cooperation on how to incorporate semiconductor manufacturing technologies into systems Sierra Space is developing for commercial space stations.
Space Forge, under its separate agreement with Sierra Space, will work on technologies and “proof-of-concept missions” for semiconductor production in space. That also includes potential cooperation on how to incorporate semiconductor manufacturing into Sierra Space’s space station systems.
Space Forge established an office on Florida’s Space Coast in September with a specific focus on semiconductor manufacturing in space, seeking to tap into new investment by the federal government into domestic semiconductor production.
“We’re eager to play a key role in advancing the U.S. semiconductor industry, especially in line with the CHIPS and Science Act,” Michelle Flemming, president of Space Forge Inc., said in a statement about the opening of its Florida office. “By using space as a unique lab, we aim to produce top-quality semiconductor materials that will significantly benefit U.S. defense, telecommunications, automotive, and other critical infrastructure industries.”
Sierra Space is not the only commercial space station developer that Space Forge is working with. In October, it announced a MOU with Voyager Space to study a range of space-based manufacturing applications. Voyager is the lead partner on the Starlab commercial space station.