The Welsh have a proud history of cutting-edge metalworking.
So it may come as no surprise Wales’ first satellite is a robotic space factory, capable of forging alloys and other materials which are impossible to make on Earth.
Welsh startup Space Forge was due to launch its ForgeStar-0 satellite on board Virgin Orbit’s ‘Start Me Up’ mission from Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay on Monday evening.
The inaugural trip into Low Earth Orbit will test the satellite’s ability to return to Earth, but subsequent satellites will autonomously manufacture metal alloys, electronic components and even pharmaceuticals over several months, before bringing them home.
Creating materials in space has major advantages, because there is no oxygen, very cold temperatures and microgravity.
Under such perfect conditions, the suitcase-sized space factory should be able to produce better and lighter metal alloys than can be created currently on Earth, where gravity can cause the metals to separate into two layers, with the densest at the bottom.
It could also usher in a new era of flawless semiconductors, which are found in electronic devices, from mobile phones and televisions to refrigerators and computers.
At around 35,000ft the LauncherOne rocket detaches and launches into space, discharging its cargo when it reaches orbit Credit: UK Space Agency/PA Wire
Semiconductors are made from crystal lattices of molten silicon, but the gravity of Earth can cause defects which impact performance.
Making them in space could dramatically improve the quality of silicon crystals, the company believes, which could extend the lifespans for everyday equipment.
A space factory can also work in temperatures close to absolute zero, which allows for ultra-fast ‘curing’ and again avoids flaws. The manufacturing will take a few months, before the precious space-built cargo is brought back down to Earth.
Space Forge co-founder Joshua Western said: “It will be the world’s first fully returnable and re-launchable satellite platform to create materials in space which are impossible to manufacture on Earth.
“Space Forge will leverage the benefits of the space environment, namely microgravity, vacuum and temperature.”
Virgin Orbit was scheduled to make its inaugural UK flight shortly before 10pm on Monday evening in the first historic lift-off from British soil.
Unlike traditional vertical launches, the ‘LauncherOne’ rocket containing the ForgeStar satellite and eight others is attached to a wing of a former Virgin Atlantic 747 passenger plane - dubbed ‘Cosmic Girl.’
The plane takes off as normal, and at around 35,000ft the rocket detaches and launches into space, discharging its cargo when it reaches orbit.
Newquay Airport was chosen as Britain’s first spaceport because it had a runway suitable for 747 aircraft, and a flight path close to the sea, in case of mishaps.
Other satellites making their maiden voyage include Open Cosmos’ DOVER-Pathfinder satellite.
Named after the Dover Strait, the narrowest part of the English Channel which has the densest shipping lanes, the satellite will help craft navigate the waters.
University College London (UCL) is also sending up two tiny instruments aimed at monitoring space weather and its effects on the Earth’s atmosphere as part of the CIRCE mission.
Usually Earth is protected by its magnetic field and even when solar storms penetrate they are usually only responsible for the spectacular auroras seen at the North and South Poles.
It is the more violent outbursts which can be catastrophic. The most severe incident - known as ‘the Carrington Event’ - happened in 1859, shorting telegraph circuits, starting fires and causing the Northern Lights to dance in the sky as far south as Hawaii.
If it happened today researchers estimate there is a 71 per cent chance the British power grid would be affected, while mobile phone reception could die, and airlines would be grounded without GPS.
The CIRCE mission consists of two nano satellites known as CubeSats, which each contain an instrument, and will fly in tandem 344 miles above the Earth’s surface.
Professor Anasuya Aruliah (UCL Physics & Astronomy), part of the science team who will be analysing the data from CIRCE, said: “Predicting space weather requires constant monitoring of the sun through to the response of the Earth’s environment.
“Meteorological weather forecasting relies on a worldwide network of weather balloons launched every 12 hours.
“The CIRCE mission will provide some of the first ever ‘space weather balloons’ to provide high spatial resolution in-situ measurements for research and forecasting models.”
