https://www.spacebandits.io/industries/in-space-manufacturing Dated, sourced milestones from the in-space manufacturing companies Space Bandits tracks. en https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/arcspace arcspace/2026-08-25/Closes a €2M seed led by DEPO Ventures to fly a 12 kg electron-beam welding demonstration in 2027 Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT Closes a €2M seed led by DEPO Ventures to fly a 12 kg electron-beam welding demonstration in 2027. Source: https://europeanspaceflight.com/arcspace-to-demo-on-orbit-welding-tech-in-2027 https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/thinkorbital thinkorbital/2026-08-21/Selected for SpaceWERX's 2026 STRATFI cycle for in-space assembly, pairing Space Force money with matched private capital Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT Selected for SpaceWERX's 2026 STRATFI cycle for in-space assembly, pairing Space Force money with matched private capital. Source: https://payloadspace.com/spacewerx-announces-2026-stratfi-awardees/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/space-forge space-forge/2026-06-11/An ESA grant of £10M funds a mission to launch Pridwen, its fold-out heat shield, and bring it back to Earth Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT An ESA grant of £10M funds a mission to launch Pridwen, its fold-out heat shield, and bring it back to Earth. Source: https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2026/06/11/space-forge-secures-backing-to-develop-heat-shield https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/bioorbit bioorbit/2026-05/Closes a £9.8M seed co-led by LocalGlobe and Breega Fri, 01 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Closes a £9.8M seed co-led by LocalGlobe and Breega. Source: https://payloadspace.com/bioorbit-raises-9-8m-seed-to-manufacture-cancer-drugs-in-orbit/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/thinkorbital thinkorbital/2026-01/Seed round led by TFX Capital funds X-ray inspection work Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT Seed round led by TFX Capital funds X-ray inspection work. Source: https://spacenews.com/thinkorbital-raises-seed-funding-to-advance-x-ray-space-inspection/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/space-forge space-forge/2025-12/Fires its orbital furnace to 1,000°C and generates plasma on ForgeStar-1, a first for commercial in-space manufacturing Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT Fires its orbital furnace to 1,000°C and generates plasma on ForgeStar-1, a first for commercial in-space manufacturing. Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/a-completely-new-manufacturing-frontier-space-forge-fires-up-1st-commercial-semiconductor-factory-in-space https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/space-forge space-forge/2025-10-23/Pridwen, its fold-out heat shield, deploys in weightlessness on a ZeroG parabolic flight Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT Pridwen, its fold-out heat shield, deploys in weightlessness on a ZeroG parabolic flight. Source: https://www.spaceforge.com/press-releases/pridwen-heat-shield-deploys-in-zero-gravity-space-forge-and-zerog-mark-step-towards-scalable-space-manufacturing https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/elevationspace elevationspace/2025-09/Signs with ispace for Japan’s first private lunar sample return, providing the reentry capsule Mon, 01 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT Signs with ispace for Japan’s first private lunar sample return, providing the reentry capsule. Source: https://ispace-inc.com/news-en/?p=7871 https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/bioorbit bioorbit/2025-06/Its first crystallisation unit is lost when The Exploration Company’s capsule fails to land Sun, 01 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT Its first crystallisation unit is lost when The Exploration Company’s capsule fails to land. Source: https://spacenews.com/the-exploration-company-claims-partial-success-of-mission-possible-reentry-spacecraft/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/space-forge space-forge/2025-06/ForgeStar-1, the UK’s first in-space manufacturing satellite, launches on Transporter-14 Sun, 01 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT ForgeStar-1, the UK’s first in-space manufacturing satellite, launches on Transporter-14. Source: https://spacewatch.global/2025/06/space-forge-launches-in-space-manufacturing-satellite-forgestar-1/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/redworks redworks/2025-05-22/Partners with EXO5D to sell industrial 3D printers in the US Thu, 22 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT Partners with EXO5D to sell industrial 3D printers in the US. Source: https://www.redworkscti.com/learn/redworks-and-exo5d-join-forces-to-bring-industrial-scale-3d-printing-to-america https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/atmos-space-cargo atmos-space-cargo/2025-04/PHOENIX 1, Europe’s first private reentry capsule test, flies on Bandwagon-3; the data comes home, the capsule does not Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT PHOENIX 1, Europe’s first private reentry capsule test, flies on Bandwagon-3; the data comes home, the capsule does not. Source: https://europeanspaceflight.com/atmos-space-cargo-tentatively-declares-phoenix-1-flight-a-success/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/varda-space varda-space/2025-02/W-2 returns from orbit carrying NASA-supported reentry instrumentation Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT W-2 returns from orbit carrying NASA-supported reentry instrumentation. Source: https://www.nasa.gov/image-detail/t0386-cr-vsi-w2-reentry-cpica-at-work-2025-02-27 https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/thinkorbital thinkorbital/2024-12-21/Flight-2 free flyer carries welder, cutter and X-ray source to orbit Sat, 21 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT Flight-2 free flyer carries welder, cutter and X-ray source to orbit. Source: https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/thinkorbital-f2.htm https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/thinkorbital thinkorbital/2024-05-06/First autonomous electron beam weld in space, on a suborbital Falcon 9 flight Mon, 06 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT First autonomous electron beam weld in space, on a suborbital Falcon 9 flight. Source: https://thinkorbital.com/news/launch-of-first-welding-system/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/spacepharma spacepharma/2024-03/EIC Accelerator awards a €2 million grant for SPACTORY Fri, 01 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT EIC Accelerator awards a €2 million grant for SPACTORY. Source: https://evolutioneurope.eu/success-stories/spacepharma-spactory/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/varda-space varda-space/2024-02/W-1 lands in Utah with orbit-grown ritonavir crystals, the first commercial in-space manufacturing round trip Thu, 01 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT W-1 lands in Utah with orbit-grown ritonavir crystals, the first commercial in-space manufacturing round trip. Source: https://www.space.com/varda-in-space-manufacturing-capsule-landing-success https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/varda-space varda-space/2024-02/Receives the FAA’s first Part 450 reentry licence, clearing W-1 to come home after months in orbit Thu, 01 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT Receives the FAA’s first Part 450 reentry licence, clearing W-1 to come home after months in orbit. Source: https://spacenews.com/varda-gets-reentry-license-for-space-manufacturing-capsule/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/bioorbit bioorbit/2023-11/Joins the ESA business incubator in the UK with UK Space Agency support Wed, 01 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT Joins the ESA business incubator in the UK with UK Space Agency support. Source: https://esa-bic.org.uk/2023/11/07/uk-start-up-to-develop-tech-for-pharma-factory-in-space/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/elevationspace elevationspace/2023-04/Signs a co-creation project with JAXA for high-frequency reentry and recovery from LEO Sat, 01 Apr 2023 12:00:00 GMT Signs a co-creation project with JAXA for high-frequency reentry and recovery from LEO. Source: https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2023/04/20230427-1_e.html https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/spacepharma spacepharma/2023-03-14/CUTISS skin cell experiment flies to the ISS on CRS-27 Tue, 14 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT CUTISS skin cell experiment flies to the ISS on CRS-27. Source: https://tech.eu/2023/03/18/cutiss-has-skin-in-the-space-game-with-new-study-on-the-international-space-station/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/space-forge space-forge/2023-01/ForgeStar-0 is lost on Virgin Orbit’s failed Start Me Up mission, the first orbital launch attempt from UK soil Sun, 01 Jan 2023 12:00:00 GMT ForgeStar-0 is lost on Virgin Orbit’s failed Start Me Up mission, the first orbital launch attempt from UK soil. Source: https://payloadspace.com/historic-virgin-orbit-uk-launch-fails/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/thinkorbital thinkorbital/2022-09/SpaceWERX Orbital Prime awards $250,000 for an in-space assembly study Thu, 01 Sep 2022 12:00:00 GMT SpaceWERX Orbital Prime awards $250,000 for an in-space assembly study. Source: https://spaceref.com/space-commerce/thinkorbital-awarded-spacewerx-orbital-prime-contract/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/spacepharma spacepharma/2022-04-08/ICE Cubes lab installed on the ISS via Axiom-1 Fri, 08 Apr 2022 12:00:00 GMT ICE Cubes lab installed on the ISS via Axiom-1. Source: https://bsgn.esa.int/2022/04/07/spacepharma-launching-to-iss-on-axiom-1/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/spacepharma spacepharma/2020-09-03/DIDO-3 microgravity research satellite reaches orbit Thu, 03 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT DIDO-3 microgravity research satellite reaches orbit. Source: https://www.jpost.com/health-science/israel-makes-history-launchs-dido-iii-satellite-into-space-640918 https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/made-in-space made-in-space/2020-06-23/Redwire acquires Made In Space and its Luxembourg arm Tue, 23 Jun 2020 12:00:00 GMT Redwire acquires Made In Space and its Luxembourg arm. Source: https://spacenews.com/redwire-acquires-made-in-space/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/made-in-space made-in-space/2019-07-15/NASA awards $73.7 million for the Archinaut One assembly demo Mon, 15 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT NASA awards $73.7 million for the Archinaut One assembly demo. Source: https://spacenews.com/made-in-space-archinaut-one-demonstration/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/redworks redworks/2018-11-13/Supplies on-site 3D printed stone to Malibu's Sweetwater Park Tue, 13 Nov 2018 12:00:00 GMT Supplies on-site 3D printed stone to Malibu's Sweetwater Park. Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20191115235735/http://www.redworks3d.com/1/post/2018/11/sweetwater-park-making-construction-sustainable.html https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/redworks redworks/2017-08-27/Sinters play sand into building material in a bench test Sun, 27 Aug 2017 12:00:00 GMT Sinters play sand into building material in a bench test. Source: https://www.redworkscti.com/learn/nasa-habitat-challenge https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/redworks redworks/2017/Pivots from Mars habitats to construction after joining an accelerator Sun, 01 Jan 2017 12:00:00 GMT Pivots from Mars habitats to construction after joining an accelerator. Source: https://www.redworkscti.com/learn/nasa-habitat-challenge https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/redworks redworks/2016-01-12/Begins Earth testing of its Made for Mars spinoff technologies Tue, 12 Jan 2016 12:00:00 GMT Begins Earth testing of its Made for Mars spinoff technologies. Source: https://3dprint.com/114856/redworks-earth-based-mfg/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/redworks redworks/2015-09/Reaches the final 30 in NASA's 3D Printed Habitat design contest Tue, 01 Sep 2015 12:00:00 GMT Reaches the final 30 in NASA's 3D Printed Habitat design contest. Source: https://3dprint.com/110580/redworks-mars-and-beyond/ https://www.spacebandits.io/startups/made-in-space made-in-space/2014-11-24/First 3D printed part manufactured in space aboard the ISS Mon, 24 Nov 2014 12:00:00 GMT First 3D printed part manufactured in space aboard the ISS. Source: https://spacenews.com/nasa-and-made-in-space-inc-successfully-3d-print-first-object-in-space/