In a bold move to harness the unique conditions of space for earthly benefits, the UK Space Agency has awarded nearly £850,000 in contracts to three innovative British companies. Announced on February 9, 2026, this initiative focuses on exploring the production of advanced materials in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), where microgravity, natural vacuum, and extreme temperatures enable the creation of products that are challenging or impossible to manufacture on Earth. The studies align with the UK’s strategic emphasis on in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM), identified as a priority for national leadership, economic growth, and security. By leveraging these space-based advantages, the projects aim to deliver tangible benefits like life-saving medicines, superior optical fibers, and high-performance semiconductors, potentially transforming healthcare, telecommunications, and technology sectors across the UK and beyond.
Space Minister Liz Lloyd stated, “Space isn’t just about exploration, it’s about innovation that improves everyday lives here on Earth. These pioneering studies show how British ingenuity is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible – leveraging space conditions to innovate the development of life-saving medicines and advanced materials that will power future technologies.” Dr. Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the potential to “capture new markets and bring tangible benefits back to Earth – from better medicines to more efficient electronics.”
The initiative underscores the UK’s ambition to lead in the growing space economy, which is projected to contribute significantly to global innovation. By addressing systemic barriers and fostering demand from public and private sectors, these studies could pave the way for commercial-scale operations, reducing environmental impacts and costs associated with terrestrial manufacturing. Below, we dig into each company’s project, background, and capabilities, illustrating how they are poised to turn space’s harsh environment into a manufacturing powerhouse.
BioOrbit Ltd: Pioneering Space-Made Pharmaceuticals for Cancer Treatment
BioOrbit Ltd, a Cambridge-based biotech startup founded in 2023, is at the forefront of revolutionizing pharmaceutical production through space technology. As a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO), BioOrbit specializes in creating scalable platforms for the crystallization of biologic drugs in microgravity. Their core mission addresses a major challenge in drug formulation: developing high-concentration, low-viscosity biologics suitable for subcutaneous injections, which allow patients to self-administer treatments at home rather than enduring lengthy intravenous sessions in hospitals.
The company’s £250,000-funded ‘PHARM’ study will design an end-to-end mission for manufacturing drugs in microgravity. In space, the absence of gravity enables the formation of more perfect and reproducible protein crystals, which are essential for advanced drug formulations that cannot be reliably achieved on Earth. This breakthrough could dramatically improve cancer therapies, such as antibody treatments, by making them more accessible and less burdensome for patients. BioOrbit is collaborating with regulatory bodies to ensure compliance, aiming for swift commercialization – a world first in space-produced pharmaceuticals under Earth-based regulations.
BioOrbit’s capabilities extend beyond conceptualization. They develop proprietary hardware for large-scale protein drug crystallization, integrating affordable launch and re-entry technologies with emerging space infrastructure. Backed by the European Space Agency’s Business Incubation Centre UK and investors like 7percent Ventures, BioOrbit has rapidly advanced from ideation to prototype testing. Their approach could disrupt the $300 billion antibody market by enabling formulations that reduce treatment times and healthcare costs. As CEO Dr. Katie King noted, “Space-made pharmaceuticals will have a dramatic impact on all of our lives. BioOrbit’s PHARM study ensures that we can produce drugs in space under the same regulation as drugs made on Earth – which will be a world first.”
With a team of experts in biotechnology and space engineering, BioOrbit is positioned to lead orbital biomanufacturing, potentially producing drugs for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis alongside cancer. Their work exemplifies how space can solve terrestrial healthcare challenges, making treatments more patient-friendly and efficient.
Space Forge Ltd: Forging Superior Semiconductors in the Vacuum of Space
Wales-based Space Forge Ltd is a trailblazer in reusable orbital manufacturing, focusing on creating high-value materials like semiconductors and alloys that benefit from space’s “triple advantage”: microgravity, ultra-high vacuum, and extreme temperatures. Founded in 2018, the company has raised over $10 million in seed funding – the largest for an in-space manufacturing firm at the time – and has expanded to over 45 employees, emphasizing scalable, returnable satellite platforms.
Their £300,000-awarded ‘2Forge2Furious’ study will demonstrate the commercial production of semiconductor seed crystals in orbit. On Earth, gravity-induced defects limit crystal quality, but microgravity allows for defect-free growth, enhancing efficiency, reliability, and power density in high-power electronic devices. Applications span telecommunications, data centers, electric vehicle charging, and quantum computing. By producing these crystals in space and expanding them into wafers on Earth, Space Forge aims to yield thousands of high-value components per mission, far surpassing terrestrial capabilities.
Space Forge’s flagship ForgeStar platform is a low-cost, reusable satellite that operates autonomously in orbits between 500 and 800 km, maximizing solar exposure and monitoring. A key milestone was achieved in late 2025 when ForgeStar-1 generated plasma on orbit – a world first for commercial in-space manufacturing – reaching temperatures over 1,000°C essential for crystal growth. Their return technology minimizes space debris by enabling satellite refurbishment on Earth, promoting sustainability.
Collaborations with Intuitive Machines and United Semiconductors bolster their capabilities in advanced materials deposition and wafer processing. CEO and Co-Founder Josh Western emphasized, “Space Forge is pleased to be a part of this national effort to place the UK at the forefront of in-space manufacturing. This study will allow us to progress that development towards true commercialisation.” With expertise in robotics, heat shields, and capture systems, Space Forge is not just manufacturing materials but building a new industrial era, reducing contamination and enabling products unattainable on Earth.
OrbiSky Ltd: Unlocking Ultra-Low-Loss Optical Fibers Through Microgravity
OrbiSky Ltd, a UK innovator in space-enabled materials processing, is tackling the limitations of traditional optical fibers with their expertise in microgravity manufacturing. Though details on their founding are emerging, OrbiSky has quickly positioned itself as a key player in translating space conditions into commercial advantages, particularly for high-performance optics.
The £295,000-backed ‘SkyYield’ study will design a payload for processing ZBLAN fluoride glass in microgravity. ZBLAN, a specialized optical fiber composed of zirconium, barium, lanthanum, aluminum, and sodium fluorides, can transmit light with up to 100 times less signal loss than conventional silica fibers. On Earth, gravity causes defects like crystallization and density variations, but space manufacturing eliminates these, unlocking ZBLAN’s full potential for telecommunications, medical imaging, and high-speed data transmission.
OrbiSky’s capabilities include developing end-to-end payload concepts with integrated process controls and verification for commercial adoption. Their work builds on decades of research, including NASA’s ZBLAN experiments on the International Space Station, where fibers produced in microgravity showed significantly fewer defects. Chief Executive Officer Sylvester Kaczmarek explained, “SkyYield is about turning the unique conditions of microgravity into real-world capability. With UK Space Agency support, we’ll define a credible, end-to-end payload concept for manufacturing ultra-low-loss ZBLAN optical fibre in orbit, including the process controls and verification needed for commercial adoption.”
By partnering with space infrastructure providers, OrbiSky aims to scale production, potentially aboard the ISS or future orbital platforms. This could revolutionize global connectivity, enabling longer-distance signals without amplifiers and enhancing tools like endoscopic imaging in medicine. OrbiSky’s focus on quality metrics and market integration positions them to lead in exotic fiber production, addressing myths around in-space manufacturing viability and delivering fibers with broader wavelength ranges for diverse applications.
Broader Implications: A Leap Toward a Sustainable Space Economy
These studies represent a pivotal step in the UK’s space strategy, fostering innovation that bridges space and terrestrial industries. By investing in ISAM, the government is not only boosting economic growth but also promoting sustainable practices, such as reducing manufacturing’s environmental footprint through space’s natural efficiencies. Challenges remain, including regulatory hurdles, return logistics, and scaling, but the combined expertise of BioOrbit, Space Forge, and OrbiSky – supported by the UK Space Agency – signals a promising future.
As the space sector evolves, these initiatives could inspire global collaborations, driving advancements in pharmaceuticals, electronics, and communications. For more details on the announcement, refer to the official press release. The UK’s commitment to space manufacturing isn’t just about reaching for the stars – it’s about bringing stellar innovations back home.
