Written by Joshua Western, CEO and Co-founder, Space Forge.


Before you can ignite the forge in orbit, you’ve got to get to orbit. That sentence alone carries years of effort. Because what we’re doing with ForgeStar-1 isn’t just building a satellite – it’s building the framework for a whole new industrial chapter in space.

The mission: The Forge Awakens. It’s the capstone mission of 2025. And it’s a big one – for our company, for the UK, and for the future of in-space manufacturing.


The prime directive

The core goals of this mission are simple:

Get to space. Activate the payload. Prove we can create the right manufacturing environment for semiconductor crystals in orbit.

Yes, really. Yes, it's as cool as it sounds.

Then we do a full dress rehearsal for our future returnable architecture – culminating in the deployment of our shield, Pridwen. This is a one-way mission, by design. But it paves the way for the returnable ForgeStar platforms to come.


What it took to get here

Those who’ve followed our story closely will know the journey to the launchpad has been, let’s say... character-building. For those just joining us, welcome – and buckle up.

Space isn’t just hard. It’s Complex. Bureaucratic. Brilliant. And entirely worth it.

Getting ForgeStar-1 to the pad hasn’t just been the work of phenomenal engineers across every conceivable discipline. It’s also the result of navigating new regulatory territory, evolving our technology under pressure, and learning (fast) what not to do.

ForgeStar-1 is the first satellite of its kind licensed for in-space manufacturing from the UK. That’s not just a Space Forge milestone – it’s a national one.

This is also, by far, our most capable spacecraft. ForgeStar-0, launched in 2023, was a modest cubesat – but it made it to the launchpad in just five months, a UK record. ForgeStar-1 is 11x larger and represents a complete redesign – and we still built it in under 15 months. That turnaround only happened because we made some bold decisions, and stood by them.


Startups build fast. And fail fast.

Our first build of ForgeStar-1 didn’t go to plan.

Suppliers collapsed. Key components delivered to us showed failure rates of over 80%. What we ended up with was a Frankenstein’s monster of a spacecraft that didn’t pass the gruelling qualification tests we demanded of it.

But this is what early-stage hardware looks like. We went back to basics, rebuilt from the platform up, and redesigned for mission success. We also rescheduled our launch slot to give ourselves the time and space (pun intended) to get it right. That decision changed everything.


Built in Britain. By design and by necessity.

ForgeStar-1 isn’t just a satellite – it’s a proof point that you can create a “Prime-lite” capability in the UK.

We created our own systems, software, mechanical and thermal design teams, electronics and integration expertise – all in-house. We had to. Unlike in the US, the supply chain we need doesn’t fully exist yet in the UK. That means we default to "make" more than most, because "buy" often isn’t an option.

That’s not a complaint – it’s a fact of doing something new. The result is a platform we understand completely. And a team that knows exactly how to deliver, even under intense pressure.

And let’s be clear: while we celebrate engineering every day, this mission wouldn’t be on time or on budget without the programme managers, regulation experts and financiers behind the scenes. They don’t often get the spotlight, but they deserve it.


The five pillars: what it takes before you launch

We talk a lot about launch being the big moment. But for ForgeStar-1, the real work has already happened. There are five mission-critical activities we’ve had to complete to even get to the pad. We call these our Five Pillars.

They are the gatekeepers of launch. Without ticking all five, the satellite doesn’t fly.

Pillar 1: Build the satellite
‍Let’s start with the obvious one – except this wasn’t just any build.

ForgeStar-1 is a substantial platform. At Space Forge, we do all assembly and testing ourselves. That makes us the prime integrator, and it gives us control over every component that flies. The platform is capable and compact, delivering serious functionality while maintaining flexibility for future missions.

It’s built to punch above its weight class – very much in the British tradition.

Pillar 2: Get the licence
‍If there’s no satellite, there’s no licence. And if there’s no licence, there’s no mission.

It took two and a half years of dedicated work to secure licensing for ForgeStar-1. That included regulatory interaction across OFCOM, the ITU, the Civil Aviation Authority, UK Space Agency, Department for Transport, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

The paperwork stack alone is best left uncounted. What matters is that it got done. And that ForgeStar-1 is now the first UK-licensed satellite for in-space manufacturing.

Pillar 3: Pass testing
‍Qualification testing is where good intentions go to die. And where great platforms prove themselves.

Our satellite was vibrated in each axis at twice the load it will experience during launch. That’s standard. And it’s terrifying. Plenty of spacecraft don’t make it past this phase.

Once vibration is cleared, it’s onto TVAC – Thermal Vacuum Testing – which simulates the vacuum of space and exposes the platform to a 100°C temperature range. If your satellite has a weak point, this is where it breaks. Ours didn’t.

Pillar 4: Ship to the launch site
‍Why include logistics as a mission-critical milestone? Because once the satellite leaves the factory, it’s out of your hands – and there’s still so much that can go wrong.

We’ve had shock sensors trip mid-transit. Hardware opened by customs. Parts delayed, recalled, or temporarily "lost". Logistics is the most highly-prepared, least-controllable stage of the mission. But ForgeStar-1 arrived. And it arrived intact.

Pillar 5: Integrate onto the launch vehicle
‍Every rocket is different. Every integration is bespoke.

At Space Forge, we rehearse integration at HQ on a dummy spacecraft – right down to connectivity restrictions – to ensure we know the process inside out. ForForgeStar-1, this meant a two-part integration:

1. On-site fuelling of the spacecraft

2. Mating the fully-fuelled satellite to the launch deployment configuration

This is the final hands-on moment before flight. And it went exactly to plan.


What comes next: Objectives 1–6

With launch now imminent, ForgeStar-1 is entering a new phase of mission operations. The first wave of mission objectives begins the moment we leave Earth.

Objective 1: Launch
We’ll launch into orbit - circling over the Earth and looping south before separating near the equator.

Objective 2: Establish power
After deployment, the satellite must stay quiet for one hour. This is to avoid crowding the spectrum used by the launch vehicle. It’s a tense wait – then the critical operations begin.

Objective 3: Detumble
Once powered up, the satellite begins stabilising itself from the spin of separation. We’ll activate internal magnetic rods to reverse the tumble and bring ForgeStar-1 into a stable orientation.

Objective 4: Establish comms
Once stable, the satellite will attempt to make first contact. These opening transmissions are vital – our first real check of system health and operational status.

Objective 5: Survive the first orbits
The harshness of space hits immediately +150°C in sunlight, –150°C in shadow. ForgeStar-1 will need to survive its initial orbits autonomously while we prepare for remote control.

Objective 6: Perform initial checkouts
Once we’re able to command the satellite, we’ll begin reviewing core systems:

– Are the solar panels generating and storing power?
– Are the attitude control systems functioning as expected?
– Are we getting the data rates we need?

If anything’s not right, we’ll adapt. If everything is nominal... we’ll say it: hello world.

We’ll share the rest of the mission objectives – including payload activation, in-space manufacturing, and deployment of Pridwen – in the next blog. Stay tuned.

For now, the pillars are complete. ForgeStar-1 is ready.

The Forge is awakening. Let’s fly.