LONDON, June 10 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
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Cardiff-based Space Forge will receive £10 million to develop its reusable fold-out heat shield,Pridwen,making itsimplerand cheaper to returnmaterials manufactured inspace.
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A further £9.25 million will support more early-stage UK space companies, helping them grow and bring in private investment.
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The package includes new backing for companies developing technologies that strengthen space infrastructure, improvenavigationand help track satellites and debris in orbit
Britain's space ambitions received a major boost today (10 June), withSpaceMinister Liz Lloyd announcing more than £19 million forcutting-edgetechnologies that could transform manufacturing in orbit and help keep space safe.
Speaking at London Tech Week, Minister Lloyd announced a package of more than £19 million to back British space innovation.The package will support companies developing technologies that could change how materials are made in space, make it easier to bring them back to Earth, and help keep the space environment safe and sustainable.
Welsh company Space Forge wins £10m backing for reusable heat shield
Cardiff-based Space Forge is pioneering in-space manufacturing, developing semiconductors in microgravity where materials can be made with fewer defects and greater uniformity - potentially improving performance in technologies such as telecoms, computing,defenceand clean energy.
The company will receive £10 million,fundedthroughan increase tothe UK Space Agency's investment inthe European Space Agency's General Support TechnologyProgramme (GSTP), whichwill support a mission to design, build, launch and return 'Pridwen', a newdeployableheat shield systemdesigned to protect spacecraft returning to Earth.
Traditional heat shields are usually fixed, rigid structures or tiles attached to a spacecraft, which can add weight, take up space and be difficult to reuse.Pridwenis designed todeployduring re-entry, creating a larger protective surface that helps shield the spacecraft from extreme heat and pressure while making the system lighter, easier to recover and more practical to use again.
Themission will help bringPridwento full commercial readiness, enabling frequent and reliable return ofpayloadsfrom spacewhich iscritical to the growth of the in-space manufacturing industry.
Space Minister Liz Lloyd said:
Today's government-funded investment in Space Forge showsour commitment to keeping Britain at the forefront of the fast-growing space sector.Space Forge is developing technology that could revolutionise in-space manufacturing.
Our wider investment is also helping moreBritishspacebusinessesgrow, bring in privatebackingand create high-skilled jobs across the country. That is how we build a stronger space sector and keep the UK one of the best places in the world to start and scale a space business.
Joshua Western, CEO & Co-founder, Space Forge, said:
We'rethrilled to be awarded the GSTP funding to help bringPridwento commercial readiness. This proprietary technology is key to enabling the safe return of our materials to Earth, which in turn unlocks the future of in-space manufacturing.
With our recent ForgeStar-1 mission we proved we can create the right manufacturing environment for next-generation semiconductor materials in space, with this newly funded mission we can prove our ability to deliver products to market.
£9.25m boost for early-stage UK space companies
Minister Lloyd also announced a further £9.25 million has been invested into the Space Portfolio of the UK Innovation and Science Seed (UKI2S) Fund,managed by Future Planet Capital,to help UK space businesses scale and grow, bringing the total Space Portfolio to £22 million.
Thisadditionalinvestment intoUKI2Swill further helpearly-stage,high-potentialUKspacebusinesses get off the ground and attract more private investment, supporting jobs and growth across the country.
TheUKI2SSpace Portfoliohas alreadydemonstratedsuccess,havinghelped bring in more than £17 million from private investors, with every £1 of public money attractingover£5.90 inadditionalbacking.
3 new deals have been agreed this year, helping UK space businesses bring in more than £10million in extra private backing for work that will make space saferand improve technologies used in navigation and security:
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Silicon Microgravity makes highlyaccuratesensors used in navigation,aerospaceand defence. A £500,000UKI2SSpaceinvestment helped the company secure a further £4.8 million from private investors.
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Opteramakes sensors that help track objects in space. Originally based in Australia, the company has now set up in the UK, with a £300,000 investment through theSpace Portfoliohelping it secure a further £2.4 million inadditionalinvestment.
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Spacefluxtracks satellites and debris in orbit to help keep space safe. A follow-on£100,000UKI2S Spaceinvestment, following an earlier £400,000 investmentthrough the Space Portfolioin 2025, has helped the company attract £7.5million in private investment.
These deals build on theFund's broadertrack record, which includesa previous£500,000 investment inMessium, a companythatuses satellite data and AI to help farmers use fertiliser more efficiently, reducing costs and environmental impact. That investment helpedenablea total of £2.7 million in private investment.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
