Key Themes Discussed:

The UK’s Legacy in Advanced Manufacturing:

• The UK has a rich history of innovation, from the steam engine to the jet engine and the COVID-19 vaccine.
• The country is a top 10 global manufacturing economy, but its strength lies in innovation, not mass production.
• Space-based manufacturing offers new opportunities that align with the UK’s R&D-driven strengths.

Why Manufacture in Space?

• Microgravity benefits: No buoyancy, sedimentation, or convection, leading to more uniform materials.
• Vacuum of space: Eliminates contamination during manufacturing.
• Extreme cold: Enables fast curing and high-precision production without cryogenics.

Our 'hot takes' & key insights:

Space manufacturing isn’t sci-fi anymore — it’s already happening. Companies like Spaceforge and BioOrbit are launching real missions this year.

Britain’s future in manufacturing is in space, not factories – The  UK will never compete with China’s mass production, but it can dominate high-tech, space-based innovation.

A UK-made semiconductor revolution could be worth billions – If  the UK perfects gallium nitride production in space, it could lead the global market in next-gen computing and electric vehicle chips.

Fiber optics made in space could reshape global internet infrastructure – Less energy consumption, faster speeds, and no signal loss—a potential game changer.

Luxury food made in space? Space chocolate could be the ultimate premium product brought to you by the Easter Bunny (who may have to start the journey earlier than usual). Imagine "Galaxy Chocolate" literally made in the galaxy!

The UK needs to act fast to stop space startups from leaving – Without better investment, companies like Spaceforge could end up in the US or EU instead.

Recycling space junk could kickstart a new multi-billion-pound industry – Turning  old satellites and debris into raw materials could make space self-sustaining.

Space-based solar power could end Earth’s energy crisis – Once the tech is mature, orbiting solar farms could beam unlimited power back home.

The Time to Invest is now! The UK is at a critical crossroads. Either it leads the next wave of space-based innovation, or it watches other countries take over. Advanced manufacturing in space could be a £50+ billion industry, and the UK has the skills to win—but only if it moves fast.

Read on to see the key areas of space based manufacturing discussed in the episode, and make sure you listen to the full episode on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 

The UK has a competitive Edge in Space Manufacturing - it is already #3 globally in satellite operations, behind only the US and China, and has world-class robotics, automation, and software expertise - all key for fully autonomous space factories. Space stations may not even be needed, with instead compact, robotic manufacturing inside satellites could be the future.

So, what lessons can Space teach Earth manufacturing? 

• Circular Economy in Space: Recycling space junk and asteroid materials could inspire greener, more efficient manufacturing on Earth.
• Energy Abundance: Space-based solar power could provide unlimited clean energy, powering factories in orbit and even beaming power back to Earth.

And what are the challenges that we need to overcome?

• Cost of launch: Heavy, complex equipment is expensive to send into orbit.
• Lack of standardization: Every satellite and spacecraft is currently custom-built, making repairs and upgrades expensive.
• Refueling & Maintenance: Unlike on Earth, space-based factories can’t be easily serviced, so reliability is critical.

Stay tuned for our next episode in the series - out next Thursday 10th April - where we wrap up our podcast series, reflecting on key insights we have taken away from the role of space in driving economic growth, particularly within the digital and technology, defence, and advanced manufacturing sectors. If you missed them, catch up on our first three episodes in the series:

• Episode 1: with Lord Victor Adebowale, who introduces the government's Invest 2035 industrial strategy, and where we discuss the role that space and satellites could play within it.
• Episode 2: with Paul Brabant from HSAT.ai, where we discuss the role of space and satellites in the digital and technology sector, and how satellite technology is revolutionsing our oldest sector, agriculture.
• Episode 3: with Peter Death from CGI, where we discuss the role of space in defence, and how this is key for economic growth and national stability. 

About the podcast series:

In ‘The PSC in Coversation: Space for Growth’, we are joined by different guests to explore the role that the space and satellite industry plays in three out of seven of the growth driving sectors of the economy, as identified by the Invest 2035 strategy: digital and technology, defence, and advanced manufacturing. The strategy went out to consultation in the autumn of last year - The PSC submitted a response to this alongside people from across UK industry and academia, and the government has just finished considering our response alongside everyone else's.