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In-Space Manufacturing - 2022 Industry Survey and Commercial Landscape
Erik Kulu
Factories in Space, Nanosats Database, NewSpace Indexerik.kulu@factoriesinspace.com
Abstract
New in-space economy fields are emerging. Microgravity research for in-space manufacturing (ISM) has
been active for decades but continuous production of profitable products is still a very nascent industry.
Numerous commercial space stations, free-flying platforms and small re-entry capsules have been announced
in the last years with the goal to expand the field. Factories in Space (www.factoriesinspace.com) is thelargest public database of commercial entities in the in-space economy and microgravity manufacturing fields.
In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) divides into 3 high-level destinations. First is ISM for space, which
involves activities related to in-orbit construction that will remain for use in space. Second is ISM for Earth,which includes new materials and products that have better properties when made in microgravity andwhich are sent back to Earth. Third is ISM on surfaces like on the Moon, Mars and asteroids. In parallel tothem, various enabling and supporting service providers already exist or are being developed in the areas oftransportation, orbital platforms, microgravity access, space utilities, space mining and more.
First part of the paper defines what in-space manufacturing entails and establishes classification to groupthe commercial entities. Literature review was performed to assist with the taxonomy. After filtering thedatabase, the key players were listed to create an overview and survey of the supply chain.
Second part of the work brought statistical insight of which types of companies are or aim to become
active in the emerging in-space manufacturing fields. All 117 in-space manufacturing activities were categorized into: advanced materials, biotechnology, large structures, microfabrication, novelty & luxury goods,
pure substances or space food. Within the classifications, comparisons were made between popularity, destinations, status, first launch years, geographical distribution and funding where available.
The are no actively recurring commercial in-space production activities yet. Many products have been
demonstrated but not repeated or scaled up. Biggest challenge for in-space manufacturing is finding thepotentially profitable goods or materials or overcoming the chicken-and-egg problem of large investment
requirements and then catering to small or non-existing markets.
New profitable and sustainable economic activities in space have the potential to speed up space technology development and the rate of activities, which would also greatly benefit human and robotic space
exploration thanks to multi-use systems. To authors’ knowledge, such industry surveys of commercial inspace manufacturing activities have not been published before.
Keywords: in-space manufacturing, in-space economy, ISM, ISAM, ISRU
1. INTRODUCTION
Factories in Space has tracked new in-space economy entities since 2018. There are over 500 entries
as of September 2022, likely making it the largest
public database. The initial target was microgravity
applications and services but scope was expanded
when a large quantity of overlapping in-space economy companies started to be announced.1
In-space economy means generating revenue inspace using assets in orbit or beyond Earth. Inspace economy is the new extraterrestrial space industries.2 Sometimes called as space-based economy
and in narrower definitions on-orbit economy, spaceIAC-22-D3.IP.2

for-space economy and it also encompasses cislunar
economy. New in-space economy includes space stations, commercial landers, space infrastructure, inspace manufacturing and much more.1
For in-space economy to thrive, new value creation and revenue sources beyond Earth will be required. In-space manufacturing could become oneof the largest industries in space and also one of thebiggest customers to other in-space economy fields.3
In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) is a subset ofin-space economy. In-Space Manufacturing is thetransformation of raw or recycled materials into
components, products, or infrastructure in space.4
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More definitions and overlapping fields such as ISAM
and ISRU can be found in the section 4. Wider spacecommunity may be starting to coalesce around theterm ISAM5 and then ISM is still a definable subset.
Literature review was performed and studies
about commercial entities within in-space manufacturing seem to be sparse. There is a large quantity of publications about the microgravity benefits,
promising applications, economic studies and experiments6–10 but overviews and broader classification
definitions have not been found.
N. Yaakoubi published a study in 2022 on”Emerging Opportunities and Threats in the InSpace Manufacturing Industry for Earth-returnproducts”.11 listing many of the commercial entities.
M. T. Moraguez has written many works related toin-space manufacturing and explored cost studies forpromising applications including on-demand spares
manufacturing, large structure manufacturing, andplanetary surface infrastructure manufacturing.12, 13
Butow et al. summarized state of the space industrial base in 2020, which included many ISM fields.14
IDA’s Corbit et al. studied global trends in on-orbit
servicing, assembly and manufacturing.15”In-Space Manufacturing and Resources Earthand Planetary Exploration Applications” book was
published in July 2022 and has sections on Space
Medicine & Human Health, Space Biology, Space
Chemistry, Space Mining, Space Farming & Food,
Advanced Materials and Space Construction.16 ”3DPrinting in Space” book was released in 2014.17
R. Skomorohov et al. wrote a comprehensive
literature review and study in ”In-orbit Spacecraft
Manufacturing: Near-Term Business Cases”.18 A.
E. Trujillo et al. published ”Feasibility Analysis ofCommercial In-Space Manufacturing Applications”
and studied antenna reflector manufacture, solar
panel manufacture and spare parts manufacture.19
D. Sivolella released a book ”Space Mining and Manufacturing: Off-world Resources and Revolutionary
Engineering Techniques” in 2019.20 B. J. Stoor published a research report titled ”In-Space Manufacturing: A Roadmap to the Future” in April 2018, which
described current efforts in in-space manufacturing
and in-space servicing as the stepping stone to ISM
due to technology overlap.21
The following are extended version of the supporting macro trends for in-space manufacturing:1
 Decreasing launch costs. Now about 2-3 times
less according to P. Lionnet22 but potentially
10-100 times lower in the future, e.g. Starship.
 Commercial space services and infrastructure.
 Commercial space stations and modules.

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 Commercial crew and cargo programs.
 Small re-entry capsules.
 Additive manufacturing in space.
 Artemis program and planned return to Moon.
 Space utility companies.
 ISRU and space resources advancements.
 Increasing momentum for space settlements.
 Pollution and climate change on Earth.
 NewSpace iterative mindsets and affinity forbolder risks, also from long-term investors.

This study focuses on commercial entities in thein-space manufacturing field. First part of the paper
establishes classification for the commercial entities.
Second part presents statistical overview of the 117
surveyed in-space manufacturing entities.
2. BENEFITS OF IN-SPACE MANUFACTURING
Much has been written about the physical, scientific and economic benefits of in-space manufacturing.23–25 Here are only a few examples: Microgravity effects due to gravity-induced
phenomena such as as convection, segregation,buoyancy, and sedimentation.26
 Ultra-vacuum, especially when using a wakeshield facility.27
 Containerless processing, for very high temperatures or to avoid nucleation.26
 Decoupling from rocket launch limitations
such as mass, volume (rocket fairing), vibrations and structural loads.28
 Not having to survive in terrestrial gravity.
 Use of recycled or space mined resources tolower costs.13
 On-demand manufacturing for long journeys.
 Possibility to launch bulk material18, 29 andmanufacture in-situ. To maximize rocket capabilities or for example use non-rocket spacelaunch solutions such as SpinLaunch with very
high accelerations.

NASA has a website on in-space manufacturing, where it is stated that ”The ability to perform In-Space Manufacturing provides a solution towards sustainable, flexible missions (in-transit andon-surface) through on-demand fabrication, repair,and recycling capabilities for critical systems, habitats, and mission logistics and maintenance. These
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capabilities provide tangible cost savings due to reducing launch mass, as well as significant risk reduction due to decreasing dependence on spares and/or
over-designing systems for reliability. ISM consistsof an integrated task portfolio which culminates inthe development of manufacturing and recycling systems and processes that will enable on-demand production of a wide array of parts and components.”30
There are also significant downsides and challenges of in-space manufacturing, which explains
why it is not yet commonplace.
In the future, in-space manufacturing has also
the potential to replace terrestrial production on
Earth to preserve life and nature on Earth, as Gerard O’Neil envisioned: “...nearly all our industrial
activity could be moved away from Earth’s fragile
biosphere within less than a century from now.”11
3. SHORT HISTORY OF IN-SPACE MANUFACTURING
Here follows a non-exhaustive chronologicaloverview of some of the first historical steps and latest advances and companies in the in-space manufacturing fields. Expanded from the previous work.1
Early days The New York Times published anarticle ”Manufacturing in Space No Longer So FarOut” but the year was 1970. Some of the areas underinvestigation were: glass preparation; industrial microbiological applications in zero gravity or a vaccine
satellite program; industrial chemistry; processingof electronic crystals; boron filament manufacture;weightless containerless melting and solidification ofpotential new metal and ceramic products; sphericalforming and composite casting; and the production
and separation of industrially useful isotopes. Interviewed believed that by 1985 the first products
developed in space will be on the market.31
Many space manufacturing experiments were
performed on Skylab in 1973. First Space Manufacturing Conference was in 1977. The early 1980s was
the first age of in-space manufacturing with manystudies published for profitable materials as part ofbeginning Space Shuttle flights and for future usageof the planned Freedom Space Station.32–38
Microgravity Research Associates was founded in1979 for the purpose of engaging in materials processing in space. It planned to grow crystals in space,starting with gallium arsenide. The high-quality gallium arsenide crystals could be used to make chipsthat would be much faster than silicon chips.39
Civilian Space Policy and Applications reportfrom 1982 discusses many relevant opportunities for
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commercialization of space technology and discussed
Materials Processing in Space for unique materials.26 C. Rood quoted in 1982 that we will likely
see products of space industrialization by the end of
the decade and that according to a 1979 study by
Science Applications, materials processing in spaceshould yield gross revenues of $80 billion by 2010.40
W. R. Wilcox wrote in 1982 that someday we
may produce speciality materials in space for use
here on Earth. For the moment, however, we are
not certain that such processes can be profitable,or what those materials should be.41 D. Osborne
wrote in 1985 that the weightless environment of
space, in which valuable new commodities can be
manufactured more efficiently than on Earth, may
be the next economic frontier for American companies and went on to describe possible commercial
applications, active companies at the time, and necessary infrastructure like space stations.42”By mid-1989, more than half of the 50 largest
U.S. industrial corporations were participating in
one or more of NASA’s programs for stimulating
commercial space research. Some are interested
in the potential of orbital space as a unique place
to conduct research and develop new or improved
processes for manufacturing commercial products.
Some are pioneering private development of commercially marketable space research facilities.”26”During the 1980’s, there was a lot of enthusiasm for materials processing in space. A lot of it
was driven by a popular book called The Third Industrial Revolution, written by engineer G. Harry
Stine. Stine believed that access to the space environment, including weightlessness, vacuum, and radiation, would revolutionize manufacturing.”43
In 1985, NASA and the National Bureau of Standards put on sale the first products made in spacefor commercial use. The products are tiny, perfectly
spherical latex beads, each 1/2500th of an inch indiameter. They were manufactured in weightlessness for use as microscopic yardsticks in a variety ofscientific and commercial tasks, such as calibrating
equipment. A small vial containing 30 million of thebeads costs $384; 29 of the vials were delivered topurchasers this week.43–46 Related to this, Particle
Technology, Inc., was the first private enterprise tohave sold a product manufactured in space.42
J. H. Goodrich et al. discussed in 1987 how The
Center for Space Policy forecasts that, if given a
suitable environment for development, by the year
2000 space industries could be producing $27 billion
annually in pharmaceuticals to battle cancer and$3.1B in gallium arsenide semiconductors for electronics, and $11.5B of pure optical glass. Scientists
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foresee the manufacture of these products on spacestations and on free-flying platforms with compartments leased by industry. Manufacturing would bedone by robots.47 J. H. Goodrich et al. wrote aboutpharmaceutical production in space in 1989.48
Commercial Space Transport Study Final Reportpublished in 1994 has a large section and appendix
about space manufacturing including future visionand promising applications.49
None of those forecasts came true. For decades
since, only research seems to have continued without any notable company or commercial product announcements.
”But even before the destruction of the Challenger, the future of space manufacturing was uncertain. Despite numerous experiments in producing drugs, growing semiconductor crystals and creating metallic alloys, no American companies have
moved beyond exploratory manufacturing operations in space.”26
After 2010 ACME Advanced Materials wasfounded in 2014 to develop and produce unique materials in a microgravity. Then they announced thefirst production of superior Silicon Carbide wafers.
After raising funding of ¿400,000 in 2015, they seemto have become dormant around 2018.
Optical fibre ZBLAN was started to be publicly touted as the first profitable product madein space in about 2016-2017.50–52 One of the firststudies about ZBLAN manufacturing in microgravity was released in 1995.53 News already in 1998
estimated ZBLAN commercial potential at $2.5 billion.54 NASA’s has awarded optical fiber related
contracts to FOMS, Physical Optics Corporation,
Apsidal and DSTAR starting from 2016.55–58 Madein Space launched internally funded ZBLAN demonstration missions in 2017 and 2019.59, 60 FOMS reported high-quality production on ISS in 2019.61
Flawless Photonics is developing ZBLAN production system in Luxembourg.62 After all the news,
progress seems slower than expected in the recent
years and Made In Space is focusing elsewhere63 butlack of news could also be because of secrecy.1
There are many commercial services on the
ISS to perform experiments, demonstrate payloads
and potentially in-space manufacturing processes.
For example, Nanoracks Nanolab, Space Applications Services ICE Cubes, Airbus Bartolomeo, Space
Tango CubeLab, yuri and many more upcoming.
Varda Space was founded in 2020 and is developing reusable satellites with re-entry capability forin-space manufacturing and other services.64 SpaceForge, founded in 2020, is working on re-usable
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ForgeStar satellites with return-to-Earth capability
for microgravity on demand.65 Inversion Space,66
Outpost,67 In Orbit Aerospace,68 The Exploration
Company69 and others are also working on small reentry capsules. ESA’s Space Rider reusable spaceplane will serve similar purpose and is offering slots
to fly payloads starting from 2023.70
Made in Space (now Redwire), founded in 2010,
has been testing large-scale in-space assembly andconstruction technologies and additive manufacturing. They launched first 3D printer to ISS in 2014.71
In 2019, NASA awarded $73.7M for Archinaut One
to manufacture 10-meter beams and unfurl solar arrays.72 Redwire announced the first commercial saleof in-space produced optical crystals in June 2022
and estimated the approximate value at $2 million
per kilogram. It was manufactured in Redwire’s Industrial Crystallization Facility onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Redwire also said thistransaction marks the first time that a space-enabledmaterials product has been sold on Earth.73 Depending on definitions, there was the latex beads
example from the 1980s that was instead the first
likely commercial product manufactured in space as
described earlier.
In February 2022, The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), manager of theInternational Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, made a research announcement soliciting
flight projects for in-space production applications
seeking applied research and development projects
leveraging the ISS National Lab within the areasof advanced or exotic materials production and associated technologies. Flight investigations should
demonstrate space-based manufacturing and production activities that: enable new business growthand capital investment, represent scalable and sustainable market opportunities, produce reoccurring
value with the potential to generate demand for andrevenue from access to space.74
SOLARIS is a proposed preparatory programme
for Space-Based Solar Power by the European Space
Agency and it would also improve the state-of-art inmany in-space manufacturing fields such as robotic
in-space assembly.75
In August 2022, the Federal Communications
Commission of the USA opened a proceeding on theeconomic potential and policy questions related toservicing, assembly, and manufacturing taking placebeyond the Earth’s atmosphere. It will examine theopportunities and challenges of space missions like
inspecting and repairing in-orbit spacecraft, capturing and removing debris, and transforming materials
through manufacturing while in space.76

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4. CLASSIFICATION
One goal of this paper is to establish taxonomy orclassification for the commercial entities in in-space
manufacturing to be able to group them.
The following classification is preliminary andauthor expects it to improve greatly thanks to feedback, independent iterations, and over the upcoming years as the new space-based industries become
more established.
One approach to defining what is in-space manufacturing is to view it in the context of a manufacturing value chain as illustrated on Figure 1. For acompany to be included in the study, there should bea manufacturing activity happening beyond Earth.
This manufacturing activity in space can either beplanned for the future, cancelled, or in some cases bea very promising technology itself. There should also
be a specific announced item that will be made inspace. Production or fabrication of goods in micro-

Physical inputs• Raw materials:
regolith• Processed materials• Mining• Space debris
recycling

gravity usually results in some measurable physicalor chemical changes. Ideally, there will also be acommercial intent to scale up the manufacturing as
markets develop.
Figure 2 illustrates the in-space manufacturing
ecosystem, methods, process and partially duplicatesthe value chain description.
4.1 In-Space Manufacturing Taxonomy
In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) is a process involving the fabrication, assembly, and/or integrationof goods outside the Earth’s atmosphere.11, 18 Alternatively, In-Space Manufacturing is the transformation of raw or recycled materials into components,
products, or infrastructure in space.4 The manufacturing can happen by humans or be automated. As
the list can be endless, priority has been given toexisting or near-term planned activities.

Transportation& logistics

Facilities, utilities& equipment

In-spacemanufacturing• Space capsules(Earth)• Space tugs (spaceto-space)• Space utilities:
energy,communications,water• Space stations• Production,
fabrication• Assembly• Construction• Materials
processing

Transportationof ISM goods &products(optional)• Re-entry capsules• Moon surface• Mars surface

Use &maintenance• Large-scale spacestructures• Space-based solar
power
• Etc

Figure 1: Value Chain Analysis of In-Space Manufacturing

Figure 2: In-Space Manufacturing
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Manufacturing is considered to be an activity
that involves at least one of the following three components: fabrication, assembly, and integration. Thoseare described as follows:18
 Fabrication: The process of producing basic
spacecraft or spacecraft subsystem components
through 3D printing or traditional industrial
methods such as welding, cutting, bending, etc.;18
For example, 3D printing solar panels.19
 Assembly: Combining fabricated or pre-fabricatedcomponents into subsystems or entire spacecraft or direct complex 3D printing;18 For example, joining the 3D printed solar panel witha stock of solar cells and wiring to form a functioning solar array.19
 Integration: Bringing together subsystems into
one system and ensuring that the subsystems
function together as such, including software;also includes potential processes associated withactivities before or after upgrades, deliberate
disintegration, and re-integration of subsystems
into a spacecraft.18 For example, integration
could include installing the solar array onto a
waiting spacecraft and incorporating it with
its power system.19

Here are some alternative definitions for in-space
manufacturing, which are worth capturing: Space manufacturing is the production of tangible goods beyond Earth.77
 Space manufacturing involves the productionof manufactured goods in an environment outside a planetary atmosphere.78 In economics,
goods are items that satisfy human wants andprovide utility. A common distinction is madebetween goods which are transferable, and services, which are not transferable.79 Commercial goods are tangible products that are manufactured and then made available for supply
to be used in an industry of commerce. Commercial goods could be tractors, commercial
vehicles, mobile structures, plane, and evenroofing materials. Commercial and personal
goods as categories are very broad and coveralmost everything a person sees from the timethey wake up in their home, on their commute
to work to their arrival at the workplace.79
Commodities may be used as a synonym foreconomic goods but often refer to marketable
raw materials and primary products.79

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 Space manufacturing is the processing of materials in space to take advantage of the uniquecharacteristics of space. For space manufacturing to become a reality, much research anddevelopment is needed to identify a wide range
of opportunities, which are unique to space,technically feasible, economically feasible, andattractive to investors.80
 As of 2019, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center categorized manufacturing processes basedon operational use scenario and the application of the parts being manufactured. In-space
manufacturing is currently defined as manufacturing in an intravehicular (crew) environment. ISM takes place inside a pressurized
habitat structure (ex. International Space Station) and is primarily focused on logistics reduction and on-demand manufacturing of spares.81
 ISM is an umbrella term for a variety of technologies, processes, and architectures which deliver a desired component or system to a spacecraft outside of the traditional Earth-launchparadigm.19

The following list of keywords, alternative terms,
applications and fields is not exhaustive. Feedback isvery welcome and author expects the terminology to
evolve greatly as in-space manufacturing develops.
Synonyms of In-Space Manufacturing: Off-Earth Manufacturing.82
 Space-Based Manufacturing.83
 In-Orbit Manufacturing - Term “in-orbit” refers
to the part of orbital space around Earth up
to geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) as placeof manufacture.18
 Orbital Manufacturing.
 Space Manufacturing.
 In-Situ Manufacturing.
 In-Space Fabrication.
 In-Space Manufacturing for Earth - In narrower definition it means making products andmaterials in microgravity, which cannot be madeon Earth, or which are better.
 In-Space Production - Same as the narrow definition of in-space manufacturing. ISS National
Lab has started to actively use this term.84
 Materials Processing in Space - Term used in
the earlier decades of space exploration andPage 6 of 24

with that keyword many older reports and articles are findable. Materials processing in space(MPS) is the science which takes advantageof the microgravity condition found in space
to produce improved materials such as pureand uniform crystals, containerless processing
and new pharmaceutical products. While it is
far too early for truly accurate appraisal, somepublished projections for the potential market
value of MPS have ranged from $18 to $25 billion by the year 2000.85

Important to note that ISRU (In Situ Resource
Utilization) and ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing have considerable commonality. Figure 3 shows the visual overlap of ISM, ISRU
and ISAM. That overlap in definitions and the inevitability that some activities and companies may
belong to multiple areas has been accepted.
The work here will only include entities marked
with ISM but they may also belong to other categories due to overlap. Those other classifications
will be explored in future works.

 Microgravity Manufacturing - Alternative namefor in-space manufacturing and in-space production. Parabolic flights and drop towers havebeen excluded.

4.2.1 ISAM - In-space Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing

Each entry in the database has 6 multi-selectable
columns: high-level category, destination, method,field, process or technology, types of goods.

4.2 High-Level Category
The first multi-selectable column in the databaseis used for the top-level categorization:
1. In-Space Manufacturing (ISM)
2. In-Space Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM)
3. In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)The In-space Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) National Strategy released in April
2022 defines that ”ISAM is a suite of capabilities,
which are used on-orbit, on the surface of celestialbodies, and in transit between these regimes. ISAM
capabilities enable specific activities, in the areas of 4
 servicing — the in-space inspection, life extension, repair, or alteration of a spacecraft after
its initial launch, which includes but is not limited to: visually acquire, rendezvous and/or
proximity operations, docking, berthing, relocation, refueling, upgrading, repositioning,
undocking, unberthing, release and departure,reuse, orbit transport and transfer, and timely
debris collection and removal;
 assembly — the construction of space systems
in space using pre-manufactured components;

4. Supporting Services

 manufacturing — the transformation of raw orrecycled materials into components, products,
or infrastructure in space.”4
ISRU

ISAM

In-Space
Manufacturing

Upstream andDownstream
Suppor�ng
Services

Figure 3: Venn Diagram of In-Space Manufacturing,
ISAM, ISRU

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The wider space community is starting to coalesce around the umbrella term of ISAM. Establishing a consistent terminology and understanding of
the capability set is key to aligning strategy.”5These ISAM capabilities may use technologies
that include inter alia, robotics; sensors and software
for trusted autonomy; re-entry/deorbit systems; advanced in-space computing; verification and validation; standard interfaces; propulsion systems; systems engineering tools and techniques that support
spacecraft serviceability; and low-cost reusable inspace mobility, logistics, and transportation systems,
as appropriate.4
On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM) refers to manufacturing, joining, andother processes in the external space environment.
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Processes are for example used to fabricate larger
4.3 ISM Destinations & Targets
than launch payload faring structures, assemble these
ISM divides into 3 large areas by destinations,structures, and to perform repair/servicing.81
targets or locations:
Quoting from State of the Space Industrial Basereport released in August 2022: ”Coming to Terms
1. Earth - In-space manufactured goods and prodwith In-Space Servicing Assembly and Manufacturucts intended to be brought back to Earth foring (ISAM) - Many terms have been applied to thissale and use in terrestrial markets. Sometimes
capability area, including NASA’s On-Orbit Serviccalled space-for-Earth, Earth-return, returning Assembly and Manufacturing (OSAM), the broader
to-Earth ISM applications. The value-added
Space Access, Mobility, and Logistics (SAML) initiain-space processing must outweigh the cost of
tive, the USSF’s Space Mobility and Logistics (SML),
transportation and the use of a space factory.11, 89
and others, describing the broad array of technolo2. Space - In-space manufactured goods, buildgies and missions required to support a robust and5
ing materials and infrastructure, which will resustainable economy and presence in space.
main in space. Also called space-for-space.
4.2.2 ISRU - In Situ Resource Utilization
In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) refers to extraction and use of raw materials found in situ onplanetary surfaces for manufacturing or sustained
habitation.81 Alternatively, any hardware or operation that harnesses and utilizes ‘in-situ’ resources
to create products and services for robotic and human exploration.86 Encompasses exploration, mineplanning, mineral processing, metallurgy and sale ofoff-Earth resources.87
Space Resources is a broad term, which deals
with the prospecting, mining, beneficiation, processing, ISRU and recycling of natural or artificial resources in space, including Moon and asteroids.88

4.2.3 Supporting Services
Example downstream and upstream supporting
services for in-space manufacturing:1
 Space Stations & Habitats Space Resources / Space Mining / ISRU
 Space Utilities
 Spaceships, Re-Entry Capsules & Landers In-Space Transportation
 Surface Transportation
 Microgravity & ISS Flight Service - End-toend service providers to access microgravity
environment, which can be facilities on the
ISS and upcoming space stations, or dedicatedfree-flyer spacecraft.

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3. Surface - also known as Surface Manufacturing or Surface Construction.90 Space manufactured goods, building materials and infrastructure which will be taken to the surfaces ofplanetary bodies like Moon, Mars or asteroids
or where the manufacturing activity happens
on the surface.
”A major programmatic risk for any Earth-return
ISM application is the emergence of a lower cost,
ground-based technique to fabricate a product withperformance equal to that of the ISM product. An
ideal product for Earth-return ISM is one where it
can only be made in microgravity and the businesscase closes considering launch costs, manufacturingcosts, and sale price. As of 2018, no large-scale commercial operation for Earth-return ISM has provensuccessful.”13 The situation is the same in 2022.
M. Moraguez gathers ISM-for-Earth applications
under Earth-Return Systems, which is the fabrication of products that require some unique aspect of
the space environment, i.e. microgravity or ultravacuum.13 The goods and technologies can be very
different thus here they warrant separate categories.
M. Moraguez collects ISM-for-surface applications
under Planetary Surface Systems, which is fabrication of components using locally available raw material, either through in-situ resource utilization (ISRU)
or recycling of on-board components.13 It is likelythat much manufacturing on planetary surfaces will
also happen using (partially) transported raw materials and again many manufacturing technologies
would be shared with space-for-space applications
thus a different categorization has been created.

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4.4 ISM Methods
In practice, the are 2 main methods or approachesof where to perform in-space manufacturing: dedicated spacecraft vs space stations.
1. Dedicated free-flying spacecraft - including small
reusable satellites with re-entry capability.
2. Space stations - including the ISS and upcoming commercial space stations.
3. Suborbital flights - some microgravity manufacturing can happen during short flights but it
is not expected to become a primary method.
Not included in this study: Parabolic flights
 Drop towers
 Ground-based microgravity simulators

The International Space Station (ISS) and otherspace stations are likely more cost-efficient, becauseof the existing transportation chains and a lower
fixed pricing. As of 2021, the cost to transport one
kilogram of cargo up to the ISS (upmass) is $20,000
and the cost to bring 1 kg down is $40,000, while
one hour of crew member time is $130,000.91
D. F. Robertson wrote about backhauling novelty items to Earth on returning capsules as a potential way to make new space businesses happen as
inspired from the trucking industry.92
Some microgravity manufacturing may also be
possible on suborbital flights and parabolic flights
but the latter has been excluded due to very limited
time in microgravity.
4.5 ISM Fields and Categories
The following are the primary categories of inspace manufacturing in alphabetical order. They
are based on existing or near-term activities as per
database and are not meant to be the final classification for long-term.
1. Advanced Materials
2. Biotechnology
3. Large Structures
4. Microfabrication

This list is expected to significantly expand in
the coming decades. Some possibilities may include:
1. Vehicles - rovers, drones, re-entry capsules, spacetugs, etc.
2. Spare Parts & Tools, etc.
3. Household Items - furniture, etc.
4.5.1 Advanced Materials
Advanced materials made in microgravity havealso been called unique materials or exotic materials.
They may include ZBLAN? and other exotic glasses,
superalloys,16 optical crystals,73 thin-films,16 semiconductors,16 bulk metallic glass and many more.
4.5.2 Biotechnology
Biotechnology field collects applications like biomedical,16 medicine, stem cells,16 tissue engineering,16
3D bioprinting,16 organ growth (human organs),93
pharmaceuticals.16 and many more.
4.5.3 Large Structures
Large-scale structures will ultimately enable andlead to the construction of unprecedented space structures and platforms.94 All related to building forspace.93 It can include booms, building materials,
additive manufacturing, infrastructure, megastructures, additive construction,16 in-space construction,16
in-space assembly, space-based solar power, spacestations and many more.
M. Moraguez separates ISM applications of Structurally Optimized Systems (Fabrication of lightweight
structures optimized for in-space loads) and Largerthan-Launchable Systems (Fabrication of large structures that no longer need to fit inside launch vehicle fairings)13 but the commonality is they areboth large structures and have shared manufacturing technologies.
4.5.4 Microfabrication
Orbital microfabrication field includes goods suchas semiconductors, solar cells, ultra-thin coatingsand many more, which are microfabrication concepts
or processes. Microfabrication is a more generalterm because the manufacturing activity may also
happen on planetary surfaces.

5. Novelty & Luxury Goods
6. Pure Substances

4.5.5 Novelty & Luxury Goods

7. Space Food

Luxury and novelty goods such as jewellery, art,
wine, coffee, beer have started to see increased traction as space-flown goods.

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Page 9 of 24

Looking back centuries ago to how silk trade andspice trade got started and what long-term impact
they had to global economy, then luxury goods madein space could similarly help to kickstart in-spaceeconomy. More practical and industrial goods would
follow later once science develops and technology
readiness increases.
4.5.6 Pure Substances
Previously called raw materials, pure substancessuch as water, oxygen, hydrogen, propellants, metals can also be a result of in-space manufacturing.
Recycling is here too.
These fields are more commonly defined as ISRU,
which can fall under the definition of ISM as “fabrication” of raw material stock from mined or extracted resources.19 Other authors have often chosen to exclude it and it is a separate category toenable it.19
M. Moraguez had an application of Recycling Orbital Debris as Feedstock - Recover components andfeedstock from defunct spacecraft for use as an alternative to launched mass.13
4.5.7 Space FoodSpace food will be a large industry to supply
fresh food to workers, settlers and tourists, bothin-space and on Moon, Mars and beyond.1 Other
relevant keywords or synonyms are space agriculture, space farming, deep space food, hydroponics,
aquaponics etc.
NASA and Canadian Space Agency have beenrunning Deep Space Food Challenge searching for
new solutions to feed astronauts in future missions
and it is currently in Phase 2.95
There is potentially a considerable overlap withvertical farming technologies and benefits on Earthand terrestrial revenues may help with the economic
sustainability of companies until more people arestaying and working in space.
4.6 ISM Processes or Technologies

6. Ultra-Thin Coatings
Example technologies not included in this study: Asteroid mining and lunar mining, unless there
is an in-situ manufacturing component.
 Not all NASA-funded additive manufacturing
technologies have been included. There preferably should be an announced commercial intent to do the manufacturing activity in space.

4.7 ISM Types of Goods & Outputs
Example types of goods or end-products (nonexhaustive) that could be manufactured in space are:
1. ZBLAN
2. Human Organs
3. Human Implants
4. Carbon Nanotubes
5. Semiconductors
6. Latex Spheres
7. Spare Parts
8. Building Materials
9. Solar Cells, Solar Arrays
10. Space-Based Solar Power Stations
11. Large Space Telescopes
12. Particle Colliders/Accelerators
Example goods not included in this study:
 Space-flown goods. Purely space-flown items
are not included. Nevertheless, long-term microgravity environment can itself have an effectand for example ageing process can be considered as manufacturing on Earth.
 Bottled wine - 12 bottles of wine were sent tospace by Space Cargo Unlimited, brought backto Earth after 1 year, and one of them was
expected to sell for $1 million at an auction.96
 Space beer made from space-flown yeast or hops.

The following list of example ISM processes andtechnologies is not exhaustive. Many of these canproduce different types of goods in various ISM fields.
1. Additive Manufacturing
2. In-Space Assembly
3. Containerless Processing
4. Solidification
5. Recycling
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5. 2022 ECOSYSTEM OVERVIEW
Here follows the overview of the 117 entries included in this new in-space manufacturing survey ofcommercial space entities.
5.1 Advanced Materials
Table 1 lists the entities in the unique materials field. About 7 of them are or have worked on ZBLAN.
Table 1: In-Space Manufacturing Companies for Advanced Materials
Name
ACME (A2M)
ApsidalDestination ISM Field
EarthAdvanced Materials
Earth
Advanced Materials

DSTAR Communications
Faraday Technologies
Flawless Photonics
FOMS
Made In Space (Redwire)
Mercury Systems (POC)
Microgravity Research Associates
MoonFibre

Space
Space
Earth
Earth
Earth
Earth
Earth

Advanced Materials
Advanced Materials
Advanced Materials
Advanced Materials
Advanced Materials
Advanced Materials
Advanced Materials

Surface

Advanced Materials

Space Forge
Varda Space Industries

Earth
Earth

Advanced Materials
Advanced Materials

ISM Goods
Silicon Carbide Wafers
ZBLAN, Optical Fibers,
Glass
ZBLAN, Solar arrays
Covetic materials
ZBLAN
ZBLAN
ZBLAN, Optical Crystal
ZBLAN
Microchips

Status
Dormant
Development

Founded2014
2019

Development
Development
Development
Demonstrated
Demonstrated
Development
Dormant

2019
1991
2017
2015
2010
1985
1979

Composites, Thermal Insulation, Filter
Microchips, TBD
TBD

Development

2019

Development
Development

2019
2020

5.2 Biotechnology
Table 2 lists the commercial entities under the biotechnology field.
Table 2: In-Space Manufacturing Companies for Biotechnology
Name
3D Bioprinting Solutions
AlleviBlue Horizon
Cedars-Sinai
Greiner Bio-One
LambdaVision
Merck Research Labs
NortisnScrypt
Space BD
Space Origami
SpacePharma
Techshot (Redwire)

Target
Earth
Space
Earth
Earth
Space
Earth
Earth
Space
Earth
Earth
Earth
Earth
Earth

ISM Field
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology

ISM Goods
Human organs, Bone tissue, TBD
TBD
SoilStem cells
Cell Cultures
Retinal implant
Pharmaceutics
Organ-on-chip,Tissue-on-chip
Implants
Pharmaceutics
Crystals
Pharmaceutics
Human organs, Bioprinting, TBD

StatusDemonstrated
Dormant
Development
Development
Development
Development
Demonstrated
Development
Development
Demonstrated
Early stage
Demonstrated
Demonstrated

Founded
2013
2014
2021
1902
1868
2009
2004
2011
2002
2017
2018
2012
1989

5.3 Novelty & Luxury Goods
Table 3 lists commercial entities under the novelty & luxury fields.
Table 3: In-Space Manufacturing Companies for Novelty & Luxury Goods
Name
SapporoSpace Craft Beer
Space Roasters

IAC-22-D3.IP.2

Destination
Earth
Earth
Earth

ISM Field
Novelty & Luxury Goods
Novelty & Luxury Goods
Novelty & Luxury Goods

ISM Goods
Beer
Beer
CoffeeStatusDemonstrated
Development
Dormant

Founded
1876
2021
2018

Page 11 of 24

5.4 Space Food
Table 4 lists the commercial entities listed under the space food field.
Table 4: In-Space Manufacturing Companies for Space FoodName
Air Protein
Aleph Farms
Alginity
Argotec
Bake In Space
BeeHex
Budweiser
CemVita Factory
Deep Space Ecology
Dewey
DoubleTree by Hilton
Eden Grow Systems
Explaneta Space
GreenOnyx
Interstellar Lab
Orbital Farm
RedwireSierra Space
Solar Foods
Space Zab
StarLab Oasis
Zero G Kitchen

Destination
Space
Space
Space
Space
Space
Space
SurfaceSpace
Surface
Earth
Space
Space
Space
Space
Surface
Space
Earth
Space
Space
Space
Space
Space

ISM Field
Space FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodSpace FoodISM Goods
Protein foodLab-grown meat
Food, Oxygen
Coffee
Bread
Pizza
Beer
Nutrients, Pharmaceutics, Food
Food
Hemp
CookieFood
Food, Art
Food
Surface Habitats
Food
TBD
Food
Protein food
Food, Pharmaceutics
Food
Food

StatusDevelopment
Demonstrated
Dormant
Demonstrated
Dormant
Dormant
Development
Development
Early stage
Development
Launched
Development
Dormant
Development
Development
Early stage
Development
Development
Development
Development
Development
Demonstrated

Founded
2019
2017
2018
2008
2017
2016
1876
2017
2016
2018
1969
2017
2019
2013
2019
2018
2020
1963
2017
2017
2021
2018

5.5 Pure Substances
Table 5 lists commercial entities under the pure substances applications.
Table 5: In-Space Manufacturing Companies for Pure Substances
Name
AirbusBraskem
CisLunar Industries
Diatomic Space
Eta Space
Exoterra
Final Frontier Design
HeliosL’GardeLunar Water Supply Company
Northrop Grumman
OxEon Energy
Pioneer Astronautics
Regolithix
Shackleton Energy
Skyhaven
Skyre
Solar System Resources Corp
Space Industries
Space Mining Technologies
Takasago
TerraxisIAC-22-D3.IP.2

TargetSurface
Space
Space
Surface
SurfaceSpace
Surface
Surface
Surface
SurfaceSpace
Surface
Surface
Surface
Surface
Surface
SurfaceSpace
Surface
Surface
SurfaceSpace

ISM Field
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances
Pure Substances

ISM Goods
Oxygen, Metals
Plastic feed stock
Metals
Oxygen, Water, Propellant
Hydrogen, Oxygen
Hydrogen, Oxygen
Water
Oxygen, Metals
OxygenWater
MetalsIce, Hydrogen, Oxygen
Iron, Silicon
OxygenWater
Hydrogen, MethaneHydrogen, Oxygen
Helium-3
Helium-3, Water
Water, Oxygen, Hydrogen
Water, Oxygen
Water, Metals

StatusDevelopment
Demonstrated
Development
Early stage
Early stage
Development
Development
Development
Development
Early stage
Development
Development
Development
Early stage
Dormant
Development
Development
Early stage
Development
Early stage
Development
Early stage

Founded
1970
2002
2017
2022
2019
2011
2010
2018
1971
2020
1994
2017
1996
2021
2007
2017
2007
2020
2018
2017
1923
2020

Page 12 of 24

5.6 Microfabrication
Table 6 lists the commercial entities under the microfabrication field.
Table 6: In-Space Manufacturing Companies for Microfabrication
Name
Astrobotic
Luxenus Space
Maana Electric
Nebula Interplanetary Systems
RedwireTargetSurfaceSpace
Surface
Earth
Earth

ISM Field
Microfabrication
Microfabrication
Microfabrication
Microfabrication
Microfabrication

ISM Goods
Solar cells, Solar arrays
Solar cells
Solar cells, Solar arrays
Microchips
Semiconductors

StatusDevelopment
Early stage
Development
Early stage
Development

Founded
2008
2022
2017
2021
2020

5.7 Large Structures
Table 7 lists commercial entities under the large structures and in-space construction fields.
Table 7: In-Space Manufacturing Companies for Large StructuresName
ABM Space
AI Spacefactory
Anisoprint
Astreia
Astroport (XArc)
Automated Dynamics
Awake AerospaceBlue Origin
Blueshift (Outward)
Hassell Studio
ICON
Eagle Technology
Kilncore
LavaHive
Luna Innovations
Lunar Resources
Made In Space (Redwire)
Magna Parva
Mainstream Engineering
Nanoracks
OffWorld
OHB
Optomec
Orbital Assembly
Orbital Composites
Orbital Matter
Orbit Recycling
Planetoid Mines Company
Raven Space Systems
Relativity Space
Rhea Space Activity
SkycorpSperospace
Tethers Unlimited
TGV Rockets
ThinkOrbital
Ultra Tech Machinery
United Space Structures
ZeCoat Corp

IAC-22-D3.IP.2

Destination
Space
SurfaceSpace
Surface
Surface
Space
Space
Space
Surface
Surface
SurfaceSpace
Surface
Surface
Surface
Earth
Space
Space
Space
Space
Surface
Space
Space
Space
Space
Earth
Space
SurfaceSpace
Surface
Space
Space
Surface
Space
Space
Space
Space
Space
Space

ISM Field
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures
Large Structures

ISM Goods
Solar sailSurface Habitats
Spare Parts, TBD
Surface Habitats
Building Materials, Bricks
Boom
Space Station
Building Materials, Alloys
Building Materials
Surface Habitats
Surface Habitats
Antennas
Thermal tiles
Surface Habitats
Building Materials
Solar arrays, ZBLAN
Boom
Boom
Thermal tiles
Milling, Cutting, Welding
Structures, Infrastructure
Boom, Spare Parts
Spare Parts
Space Station
Solar arrays, Antennas
Boom
Building Materials
Boom, Landing Pad
Re-entry CapsuleSurface Habitats
Mirrors
Space Tug
Metals, Structures
Boom, Antenna, Array
Spare Parts
Space Station
Spare Parts
Surface Habitats
Mirrors

Status
Early stage
Development
Development
Development
Development
Development
Concept
Development
Development
Concept
Development
Development
Early stage
Concept
Early stage
Early stage
Demonstrated
Dormant
Development
Demonstrated
Development
Development
Development
Early stage
Development
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
Development
Development
Early stage
Early stage
Development
Development
Development
Development
Early stage
Development

Founded
2011
2017
2015
2019
2020
1984
2020
2000
2017
1938
2016
1998
2020
2015
1990
2018
2010
2005
1986
2009
2016
1958
1982
2018
2018
2022
2018
2009
2020
2016
2018
1998
2019
1994
1998
2021
1986
2009
2011

Page 13 of 24

6. 2022 STATISTICAL OVERVIEW

has partially started a wave of small re-entry capsuleand microgravity facilities startups for example.

Here follow a statistical overview of which typesof companies are or aim to become active in theemerging in-space manufacturing fields.

Destinations of In−Space Manufacturing Companies
28

Earth

6.1 Market Survey Criteria
35

SurfaceThis survey criteria resulted in the 117 entries: Belongs to in-space manufacturing, as definedin Section 4.
 A planned manufacturing activity taking placebeyond Earth and an intent to produce specificgoods. Thus some ISRU, assembly and otherin-space economy fields are not included.
 Potential ISM technologies or supporting services without announced commercial goods havebeen nominally excluded.
 Commercial entities or at minimum offeringcommercial services to the public markets.

6.2 Destinations
Figure 4 shows the destinations, targets or locations of new in-space manufactured products as
defined in Section 4.3. Most goods or constructions
are planned to remain in space, followed by the surfaces of Moon or Mars, and the least amount of companies is aiming to return ISM products to Earth.
This is interesting, because existing, near-term, andlarger markets are thought to be on Earth and that

54

Space

0

10

20

30

40

50

Figure 4: Targets of In-Space Manufactured Goods
6.3 Destinations with Categories
Figure 5 shows the destinations together with inspace manufacturing fields as defined in Section 4.5.
Products intended to be flown back to Earth are
dominated by advanced materials and biotechnology applications followed by novelty & luxury goods.
The largest ISM category, where the produce willremain in space, is space food and large-scale structures but otherwise very varied. For surface ISM, themanufacturing will also happen on the same planetary surface in most cases but it is still considered”in-space” or beyond-Earth manufacturing. Surface
ISM applications are also very mixed thanks to better access to and processing of raw resources but alarge new category is the production of water, oxygen, metals and other pure substances.

Destinations with Classification of In−Space Manufacturing Companies

Space

54

Categories
Surface

Advanced Materials
Biotechnology
Large Structures
Microfabrication
Novelty & Luxury Goods
Pure SubstancesSpace Food

35

Earth

28

0

20

40

60

Figure 5: Destinations with ISM Fields for In-Space Manufacturing Companies
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Page 14 of 24

have been demonstrated. Redwire has shown ZBLAN60
and optical crystal fabrication in space and the latter was sold commercially.73 FOMS has also demonstrated ZBLAN.61 The situation should improve in
the next years thanks to many small re-entry spacecraft and Axiom Space Station. It is unknown which
will be the first recurring ISM goods but many moredemos and small sales are likely. There still seems
to be a long path for the ISM-for-Earth markets toemerge and for ISM companies to become recurring.

6.4 Classifications or Fields
Figure 6 shows the classification of in-space manufacturing companies as defined in Section 4. Generally, there is only one primary category per company
but for example Redwire has been included multiple
times. Thus the 117 entries are not strictly separate companies but separate ISM activities. Large
structures is the most popular field followed by space
food, pure substances, biotechnology and only thenadvanced materials for Earth.
Fields of In−Space Manufacturing Companies
Novelty & Luxury Goods

6.6 Founded with Classification

3

Microfabrication

Figure 8 plots the founding dates of all entries
in the database together with the fields. Important
to note that the company founding year may not becorrelated to the start of the ISM activities. Starting from 2017 and still continuing, there has beena large increase. Space food and unique materials
fields stand out but other categories are present too.
This timeline coincides with the first Starship announcements and successful re-usability of Falcon 9,
because both are aiming to lower costs of space access, which could enable business cases of in-space
manufacturing. NASA’s Artemis announcement in2019 and new funding opportunities also increased
the interest, because it will be creating new markets
for many in-space economy fields. While there wasa decline, author forecasts that successful Starship
missions to orbit, return to the Moon, and small
re-entry capsules will kick off another ISM startup
founding wave in about 2-3 years.1

5

Advanced Materials

12

Biotechnology

13

Space Food

22

Pure Substances

22

Large Structures

40

0

10

20

30

40

Figure 6: Categories of ISM Companies
6.5 Fields with Status
Figure 7 lists the fields of in-space manufacturing
entities together with the status categories.
There are no active recurring in-space manufacturing entities making products and materials for
Earth or space. Space beer from Japan is set as ”Recurring/Active”, because it was made from spacegrown barley multiple times but not lately. Some

Fields with Status of In−Space Manufacturing Companies
Novelty & Luxury Goods

3

Microfabrication

5

Advanced Materials

12

Biotechnology

Status1) Recurring / Active2) Demonstrated3) Development
4) Early / Concept
5) Dormant / Cancelled

13

Space Food

22

Pure Substances

22

Large Structures

40

0

10

20

30

40

Figure 7: ISM Fields with Status for In-Space Manufacturing Companies
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Page 15 of 24

Over $1 billion in private and awarded funding
have received Relativity and Sierra Space. Over$100 million in funding have to raised Made in Space(Redwire) and Aleph Farms. Between $50-100M in
private funding has raised for example Varda Space
Industries. Between $10-50M in funding have e.g.
Space Forge, Solar Foods and Space BD. Between$5-10M in funding have for example Interstellar Lab,
Maana Electric and OffWorld.

6.7 Funding with Classification
Figure 9 has ISM categories with funding amounts
in the defined ranges. ”Yes, amount TBD” often
means an established company but it is unknown
how much are they investing into ISM but likely
a considerable amount. ”Unknown” category is forcompanies who have not announced funding. With
the latter, it is often the case that based on their activities, social media and employee count, they likely
only have small amounts or no funding.

Founding Years with Classification of In−Space Manufacturing Companies

20

Categories
Advanced Materials
Biotechnology
Large Structures
Microfabrication
Novelty & Luxury Goods
Pure SubstancesSpace Food

15

10

15
13

10 10

6
5

5

4

4

1

1

05

1

00

1

2

04

1

99

2

3
2

2

14

3

13

3
2

3

1

22

21

20

20

20

19

20

18

20

17

20

16

20

15

20

20

20

12

20

11

20

10

20

09

20

08

20

07

20

06

20

20

20

03

20

02

20

01

20

20

20

98

19

97

19

19

19

96

0

Figure 8: Founding Years with Classification for In-Space Manufacturing Entities
Funding with Classification of In−Space Manufacturing Companiesk) Yes, amount TBD

42j) $1000m+i) $300m+2
1h) $100−300mg) $50−100m

7Categories

1f) $10−50m

6e) $5−10m

7d) $1−5m

12c) $0.1−1mb) <$0.1m

Advanced Materials
Biotechnology
Large Structures
Microfabrication
Novelty & Luxury Goods
Pure SubstancesSpace Food

84a) Unknown
0

27

10

20

30

40

Figure 9: Funding Levels with Classifications for In-Space Manufacturing Companies
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Page 16 of 24

Geographical Distribution of In−Space Manufacturing Companies
80
60
40
30
20
10
5
1
0

Figure 10: Map of In-Space Manufacturing Companies Headquarters
6.8 Geographical Distribution
Distribution of the in-space manufacturing companies by headquarters locations is on Figure 10.
76 of 117 are based in the United States. Followed by 8 entities registered in Germany, 6 in UK,
4 in Canada, Luxembourg and Australia but otherwise only one or two in other marked countries.
The United States is also in the first place by thequantity of commercial entities and missions flown
among in-space economy companies,1 small launchers,97 satellite constellations98 and nanosatellites.99
With in-space manufacturing being one of the mostleading edge and futuristic space industries, suchlead and popularity is expected.
6.9 First Launches

In 2015, Argotec flew espresso machine to space.100
In 2017, SpacePharma launched their first biotechnology experiment CubeSat.101 In 2018, Made inSpace launched first ZBLAN demonstration,59 Tethers Unlimited launched plastic recycling system102
and 3D Bioprinting Solutions launched a bioprinter.
2019 saw the first launches for Aleph Farms, Braskem,
DoubleTree by Hilton, Flawless Photonics, FOMS
(Fiber Optic Manufacturing in Space),61 Sierra Space,
Techshot (Redwire) and Zero G Kitchen.
In 2022, Planetoid Mines Company103 and SpaceForge104 should send their first hardware to space.
In 2023, Redwire is planning to launch a commercial greenhouse to space.105 Orbital Assembly,106
Takasago’s water-splitting experiment to the Moon,107
and Varda Space Industries108 have also announced
their missions.
In 2025, Helios plans to demonstrate oxygen andmetal production on the lunar surface.109

First missions in space have been gathered on
Figure 11. Knowingly cancelled and dormant companies have been marked separately. ”Not announced”
First Launches of In−Space Manufacturing Companies
80
are companies that do not seem to have announced
69
a year for their first ISM activities in space. The
60
large quantity of such entities matches with the large
40
number of idea and early stage companies, or only
20
9
8
technology development projects.
6
6
5
4
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
0
t
The first launch also does not correlate to the? 06 14 15 17 18 19 20 22 23 25 26ned
20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 rma unc
start of a recurring commercial activity and many of
Do nnotathese demonstrations can be scientific in nature andNoprimarily funded by grants. The approach here is tokeep the last announced year in the database until
Figure 11: First Launch Years of In-Space Manufacsuch date passes even when it becomes unrealistic.
turing Activities and Demonstrations
This will help to track delays in the future.
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Page 17 of 24

7. CONCLUSIONS

access to microgravity should help to spur the innovation, research and new discoveries.
In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) is a process inThe predictions from 1970s and 1980s for promisvolving the fabrication, assembly, and/or integration
ing in-space manufacturing applications and markets
of goods outside the Earth’s atmosphere.11, 18
have not come true in the preceding 40-50 years. The
Statistical overview of 117 commercial in-space
recent enthusiasm for ISM is likely driven by Falcon
manufacturing activities has been presented. Short
9 reusability, Starship and return to the Moon, allhistory, literature review and classification of in-space lowering the cost of access to space and/or creating
manufacturing fields was written.
new demand for ISM applications.
In-space manufacturing companies have been sorted
For ISM-for-space, where the outputs will remainby 3 main destinations or targets for the goods: Earth, in space, many first demonstrations are planned inspace and surfaces. Space is most popular with 54,
the next 2-3 years and commercial applications such
followed 35 for surface and Earth with 28 entries.
as long antenna booms and ISM solar arrays should
The companies are divided into 7 categories: adfollow. This market has somewhat of a chickenvanced materials, biotechnology, large structures, miand-egg problem but government grants and awards
crofabrication, novelty & luxury goods, pure subshould help to overcome it in the next years.
stances and space food. Most popular are space food
About in-space manufacturing on planetary surand large-scale structures. This list will expand andfaces, the first missions of commercial landers in thechange considerably when new types of goods andnext 1-3 years should pave the wave for first cominfrastructure will be made in space, because it ismercial demonstrations and then crewed return tocurrently driven by the announced activities.
the Moon should see a rapidly increasing cadence of
There are no recurring in-space manufacturing
ISM activities on surfaces.
products or companies as of 2022. Several have perThe goal is to start repeating this study bianformed demonstrations but no regularly active innually. Numerous improvements are planned due tospace production of specific goods is known. ZBLAN
many companies exploring multiple ISM fields andmanufacturing in space was demonstrated by Redthose activities having different status and funding.
wire and FOMS in 2017 and 2019 but regular proDedicated papers exploring the supporting and enduction has not started. Redwire announced an opabling services for in-space manufacturing are also
tical crystal in 2022 as the first sale of an in-spaceplanned. The online-accessible database is expectedfabricated product. Instead, the first commercial
to be updated multiple times per year.
ISM product was likely the perfectly spherical latex
beads in the mid-1980s.
Acknowledgments
Finding the potentially profitable ISM goods andmaterials seems to be the biggest challenge for theThis work has received financial support fromin-space manufactured goods market destined forNASA. Though, it is not the final output of that
Earth to take off. Redwire, Varda and Voyager seemwork. Carol Putman and Matthew Morabito fromto be exploring the largest number of promising ISM
Booz Allen Hamilton have provided input and feedareas by acquiring companies or hiring scientists andback. Thank you!
may be best positioned to discover the ”killer app”
for ISM-for-Earth.
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