Making chips in space? Significant performance and cost advantages

The rocket-launched laboratory provides supercomputing power at extremely low energy costs.

Space Forge plans to launch small modules the size of washing machines to an altitude of about 500-800 kilometers above the Earth's surface

Making computer chips from materials forged in space may sound like an idea from science fiction, but a British company wants to make it a reality.

Space Forge plans to send small modules the size of washing machines into low-Earth orbit, about 500-800 kilometers above the Earth's surface, where gravity is lower but can be recovered.

Low gravity means the raw materials for semiconductor computer chips can be made more easily. Crystals key to making semiconductor chips can be synthesized in orbit with higher purity.

Josh Western, founder of Space Forge, said: "The combination of microgravity and vacuum in space allows you to create extremely pure crystal structures. The available space allows the crystals to bond better, contaminating There are fewer things.”

While most chips are made of silicon, Space Forge is exploring the use of alternative materials such as gallium nitride. Complete chips won't be manufactured in space, just raw materials.

Higher crystal purity means the chip produces less waste heat, which could save millions of pounds in operation. Energy usage can be reduced by up to 60%.

As more economies turn to electricity to reduce carbon emissions, manufacturing high-quality chips can bring significant benefits.

Western hopes the technology will bring significant savings to applications such as 5G phone towers, radar and electric vehicle charging.

"Some of the chips in the 5G towers can only run at about 8% efficiency," he said. "Replacing these chips with chips made in space could triple the efficiency of these applications."

Western (left) hopes Space Forge technology will bring significant savings to applications such as 5G phone towers, radar and electric vehicle charging

Across the world, more computing power is also beginning to be used, from developing artificial intelligence to modeling weather and climate to conducting drug research.

Last month Cardiff-based Space Forge received £499,000 in funding from the UK Ministry of Defence, as part of a partnership with US defense company Northrop Grumman.

The company's labs can be launched via rockets such as those operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Once the process of forming the crystals is complete, the goal is to have the module return to Earth "like Mary Poppins," with a deployable umbrella to slow its return to Earth, West said.

The cost will be high, but the final price will depend on the complexity of the chip material, how long the module stays in space and how many microchips the customer wants.

For short-term orders, “we’re looking at materials ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars per kilogram to tens of millions of dollars, depending on the complexity of the structure you need,” Western said.

Once a batch of chips is manufactured in space, the materials can be used to "seed" cheaper manufacturing processes on Earth. This significantly reduces production costs while retaining most of the advantages.

Space Forge isn't the only company exploring manufacturing methods in space.

California-based Varda Aerospace Industries hopes to once again take advantage of low gravity to manufacture pharmaceuticals in space. A 300kg test boat was launched in June.

The spacecraft contains a small factory for the production of an HIV drug called Ritonavir, with the goal of creating a more stable version.

Delian Asparouhov, co-founder and researcher at Varda, said that at its most basic, the process involves “mixing fluids together, mixing powders with fluids, heating, cooling and Stir,” which is essentially a “miniature medicine kitchen” in space. Partner of Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel's Founders Fund.

The absence of gravity means "you can heat two molecules and they stay exactly where they are, and then they join together exactly the way you want them to."

This is important for making complex, expensive drugs and pain management for cancer patients, he added.

The pristine environment of space means drugs can be created with very reliable properties. Asparouhov predicts that products made in space could end up costing as little as $60 (£47) per gram.

Temperature readings sent to Earth indicate Varda's test vehicle's process was successful, although the final results won't be clear until scientists open the module.

"We know the oven temperature is right, but we don't know what the cake looks like inside. We know it's probably baked fine, but ultimately, you have to be able to actually open it and see it."

However, Varda's novel manufacturing method faced an unusual obstacle. Its capsule and the drugs on board will need permission from the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Air Force to re-enter the atmosphere. Earlier this year, permission was denied and the module remains in space.

Asparukhov said dealing with numerous regulators has proven to be a headache.

"In theory, these things are on paper in the United States, but we're the first country to actually go through this regulatory process. It turns out there are just some problems."

The company hopes to recover the module early next year, likely landing in Australia or Utah, where there are large tracts of uninhabited land where satellites can land safely.

Tommaso Gidini, head of the European Space Agency's mechanical division, said there are plenty of other opportunities for manufacturing in space beyond medicines and computer chips.

"In the past, our time in space with humans was very limited. Now, that time is increasing significantly."

Humanity's ambition to eventually reach Mars provides opportunities for lunar manufacturing to carry out missions en route. If humans do get to Mars, they'll also need to be able to make things there.

Spending more time in space means you need more tools to fix things that go wrong. Ghidini says the solution to this problem is to use plastic and metal 3D printing - there's no point in sending unnecessary spare parts into space.

This will mean developing clever manufacturing techniques that use less energy and can use existing materials, recycling metals when building bases on the moon.

"Everything launched to the space station costs a lot of money and ultimately fails," he said.

"On Mars, you can't transport every possible tool, and you can't carry everything that could possibly go wrong or not go wrong with you. It would be more efficient to have a 3D printer with you."

Fortunately, the rocks on the lunar surface contain a wide range of raw materials, including aluminum, silicon, iron, titanium, magnesium, calcium and oxygen.

Exploiting them is the next challenge.

"Imagine having a workshop or a manufacturing plant on Earth," Gidini said. "Imagine how many pieces of equipment you have and how many processes you have to go through before you get to the final product."

The ideas may sound bizarre, but those involved insist the results will be seen in years, not decades. Space Forge and Northrop Grumman are expected to take over manufacturing materials in space as early as 2025.

"The opportunity is huge," said David Pyle, regional director for Northrop Grumman.

The sky no longer seems to be the limit.

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