Space Forge nets backing to develop heat shield

A Cardiff space technology company is set to propel its growth plans after securing £10 million to support the commercial return of materials manufactured in orbit.

Space Forge will receive the funding from the European Space Agency’s General Support Technology Programme, backed by the UK Space Agency’s investment in ESA.

The money will support a mission to design, build, launch and return Pridwen, the company’s reusable fold-out heat shield system, designed to protect spacecraft during re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere.

Space Forge specialises in in-space manufacturing, focusing on producing semiconductor materials in microgravity, where conditions can create material properties that are not achievable on Earth.

Named after the legendary shield of King Arthur, Pridwen is intended to make the return of high-value materials from space simpler, safer and more cost-effective.

Unlike traditional heat shields, which are typically fixed and difficult to reuse, Pridwen deploys during re-entry to create a larger protective surface while remaining lighter and easier to recover.

Joshua Western, chief executive and co-founder of Space Forge, said: “We’re thrilled to be awarded the GSTP funding to help bring Pridwen to commercial readiness. 

“This proprietary technology is key to enabling the safe return of our materials to Earth, which in turn unlocks the future of in-space manufacturing. 

“With our ForgeStar®-1 mission we proved we can create the right manufacturing environment for next generation semiconductor materials in space, with this newly funded mission, we can prove our ability to deliver products to market.” 

The funding follows the success of Space Forge’s first orbital mission, The Forge Awakens, during which the business generated plasma aboard its ForgeStar-1 satellite.

The mission marked a world first for commercial in-space manufacturing and demonstrated that the conditions required to produce next-generation semiconductor materials can be created and controlled in low Earth orbit.

As the first free-flying commercial semiconductor manufacturing platform operated in space, ForgeStar-1 proved the potential for growing advanced materials in orbit. 

The next challenge is returning those materials to Earth reliably and at scale.

Pridwen is designed to bridge that gap, enabling routine return and recovery missions and supporting a hybrid manufacturing model in which space-grown semiconductor seeds are brought back to Earth for commercial production.

A successful demonstration would move the technology closer to commercial readiness and help accelerate the growth of the emerging in-space manufacturing sector.

Space minister Liz Lloyd added: “Today’s investment shows our commitment to keeping Britain at the forefront of the fast-growing space sector. 

“Space Forge is developing technology that could make bringing materials back from space more like a regular delivery service than a one-off mission. 

“We are proud to back a British company leading the way in a new area of space technology.”

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