Image Credits:<\/strong> Space Forge<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe space station is a great laboratory, but it\u2019s not a factory,\u201d Bacon said. Nor is in-space manufacturing as simple as turning a Dragon capsule, the most-used cargo and crew vehicle in history, into an orbital factory. The capsule simply isn\u2019t optimized for it \u2014 on cost or engineering, he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpaceX have done fantastic work in reducing the cost of launch, but they haven\u2019t really reduced the cost of return,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In addition to cost, the mechanics of Dragon\u2019s reentry could pose problems for some materials, like live biological cultures. \u201cWe\u2019ve spoken to biological customers who\u2019ve lost their three-year in-development experiments in the last millisecond of landing,\u201d due to the high-shock of landing, Bacon explained.<\/p>\n

The company says it\u2019s on-track to launch its inaugural mission this year. That mission, whose customer is the European Space Agency as part of its Boost! Commercial Space Transportation Services program, will demonstrate Space Forge\u2019s manufacturing technique and prove out other key technologies, including safe reentry technology. While Bacon declined to specify the potential launch date or launch provider, he did say that the company chose a U.S. launch provider with proven flight heritage.<\/p>\n