From mining precious "spice" on Arrakis to the high-stakes extraction of unobtanium on Pandora to turning the red planet into a potato farm, science fiction has long captivated us with the prospect of spaceborne production. Now, as this kind of futuristic vision becomes reality, supply chain professionals may soon find themselves taking their own giant leap into the cosmos.
“The absence of gravity allows for unique manufacturing processes that cannot be replicated on Earth, thanks to the interesting physics of near-weightlessness,” Wired reports. In fact, the microgravity environment of Earth’s orbit could even enable the production of higher-quality products.
For example, seed crystals — an important element in semiconductor manufacturing and high-quality pharmaceuticals — are purer when produced in space, Wired continues. The company Astral Materials plans to grow these crystals “with a mini fridge-sized furnace that reaches temperatures of about 1,500 degrees Celsius.”
In addition, a McKinsey report states that scientists are experimenting with producing in-space organoids: Miniaturized and simplified versions of organs resemble living human tissues and can be used as 3D models to evaluate disease with much greater success than on Earth. Further, scientists have hypothesized that a space environment might enable the production of organoids from specific adult stem cells — something not possible today.
Helping to enable these developments are private space companies such as Blue Origin and SpaceX, which have partnered with NASA to increase the frequency of space travel. This, in turn, expands access and reduces costs, paving the way for in-space manufacturing. Experts say the industry will reach $100 billion by 2035. In fact, Welsh in-space manufacturing company Space Forge just raised £22.6 million in funding, led by the NATO Innovation Fund, reports Tech EU. The money will be used in launching satellite platforms, which are designed to manufacture and return “high-performance materials that are difficult or impossible to produce on Earth, enabling commercial scalability.”
Plus, in-space manufacturing might also be better for the Earth. “Materials made in space are expected to dramatically outperform their terrestrial counterparts — potentially cutting CO₂ emissions by up to 75% and reducing energy usage in applications such as cloud data centers, EV charging and quantum computing,” Tech Eu adds.
The sky’s the limit in supply chain
If you’re amazed and inspired by technological breakthroughs like these, then I’m thrilled to invite you to CHAINge North America. This transformative experience will redefine the future of supply chain management, with many educational sessions featuring fascinating innovations and a Tech Showcase where you can see the latest solutions in action through live demonstrations. On September 9-10 in Columbus, Ohio, be a part of a truly immersive experience centered on collaboration and impact. Register today — CHAINge North America is going to be out of this world!
