Space Forge and Intuitive Machines team up to boost US orbital chip production

Space Forge and Intuitive Machines team up to boost US orbital chip production
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 18, 2025

Space Forge Inc., a leader in orbital materials engineering, has entered into a strategic partnership with Intuitive Machines to deploy its semiconductor manufacturing payload aboard the Zephyr orbital return vehicle. The collaboration forms part of Intuitive Machines' Earth Reentry Program and is backed by the Texas Space Commission.

This joint effort aims to rapidly advance the U.S. domestic capacity for space-based semiconductor manufacturing. By combining Space Forge's microgravity-enabled production techniques with Intuitive Machines' Earth return systems, the partnership will enable the creation and recovery of ultra-pure semiconductor substrates from orbit.

Michelle Flemming, President of Space Forge Inc., stated, "This partnership represents a transformational step forward for in-space manufacturing - together with Intuitive Machines, we're making a bold move to bring the full cycle of semiconductor production - from orbit to onshore - under U.S. control. This collaboration brings our materials science expertise into a powerful American ecosystem, supporting national innovation and technological leadership."

The effort is a core component of Intuitive Machines' broader plan to commercialize orbital reentry, supported through the Texas Space Commission's Space Exploration and Research Fund. The Zephyr platform is being tailored around real-world applications, with Space Forge's advanced chip fabrication module playing a central role in its evolution.

Tim Crain, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer at Intuitive Machines, emphasized, "The value of space exploration is in what we're able to bring back to Earth... Enabling this value at scale requires a routine and reliable Earth return capability. Intuitive Machines is addressing that need head-on with the State of Texas backing our Earth Reentry Program."

The initiative reflects a deepening U.S.-UK alliance in aerospace innovation and expands Space Forge's mission to industrialize space-based manufacturing. Microgravity enables the creation of semiconductors with improved structural consistency, fewer defects, and higher performance potential, vital for fields such as quantum computing, clean energy, and telecommunications.

Backed by both public and private sector investment, Space Forge is poised to deliver the nation's first vertically integrated, space-based semiconductor manufacturing platform.