ESA's ForgeStar to create materials, medications in space and return them to Earth

A European Space Agency (ESA)-funded round-trip commercial space transportation service will enable businesses to develop ultra-pure and capable materials in space from 2022, and to also discover and return breakthrough pharmacological therapies for use on Earth. ForgeStar, a reusable suitcase-sized vehicle being developed by Space Forge in the United Kingdom, can be lofted into space and will return to Earth after a long stay in low Earth orbit.

ForgeStar will be part of a full commercial service that will provide 'microgravity on demand' and return from space service that may be launched from a number of launch vehicles. It promises to be more versatile and responsive than current solutions, with a private environment, customisation and a comfortable return to Earth.

ForgeStar could initially carry only a few kilogrammes on each return flight

According to a press release by ESA, ESA's Commercial Services Manager and Technical Officer for the contract Jorgen Bru said that they were glad to help Space Forge in its efforts to develop this service for the market. ForgeStar could initially carry only a few kilogrammes on each return flight, but the company plans to scale up the vehicle and raise this tenfold in future iterations.

Companies can use the ForgeStar service to create new materials, improve the purity or capability of current materials or conduct research by making use of the unique environment of space. In sectors like medical and advanced industrial uses, this will improve life on Earth, as per the press release. The success and value of similar but restricted possibilities on the International Space Station and experiments on parabolic flights inspired the creation of this service.

CEO and Co-Founder of Space Forge Joshua Western said that they are ecstatic to have this kind of support for the ForgeStar platform. Returning to space on a sustainable basis can open up business opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable and exploit Low Earth Orbit as a resource in the same way that lower launch prices have democratised access to space.

ForgeStar is a companion to a much larger-scale ESA project

ESA has awarded this project a two-year contract worth two million euros through its Boost! initiative. The preliminary and detailed design processes, as well as the launch, in-orbit operation and return of the first operational ForgeStar demonstration vehicle, are all covered. ForgeStar is a companion to a much larger-scale ESA project called Space Rider, which is an uncrewed reusable robotic space laboratory that will be launched aboard Vega-C, according to ESA.

(Image: Twitter/@esa_sts)