Behind the great space exploration scientists of Great Britain, that even in zero gravity it is possible to create some “unearthly” things. This is exactly what the ForgeStar platform, produced by the Welsh startup Space Forge, will do.
In essence, this is a “metal” stove, a miniature avalanche furnace, where you can create unique s. For example, under the conditions of terrestrial gravity, an alloy of lead and aluminum, when melted and then cooled, will take the form of a sandwich, where, due to the different properties of the weights, the heavier lead is colored around, and aluminum on top. However, in space they mix more “correctly”.
And in general, space metallurgy is of mass importance – in particular, it does not pollute the air. Once in Earth orbit, ForgeStar will use robotic systems to isolate light alloys and semiconductors for six months. According to the nature of the company, about getting them on the ground, so that after a small repair, they would return to it again
According to ForgeStar co-owner Josh Bacon, the creation and operation of existing systems is becoming more profitable due to the 20-fold reduction in the cost of services for the removal of goods into space in recent years.
The launch of ForgeStar in “company” with some satellites is observed in September using a small Cosmic Girl rocket from Virgin Atlantic, using an air launch method from an altitude of about 11 km, specially converted for this Boeing 747.
Source: Tech Cult
