FOMS (Fiber Optics Manufacturing in Space) is a very small US startup founded in 2015.
Created: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2022-09-18
- Founded
- Country
- 2015
- USA
- Website
- FOMS
Service - SpaceFORM
- Classification
- In-Space Manufacturing
- Category
- In-Space Manufacturing
- Fields
- ZBLAN
- Status
- 2) Demonstrated
- First launch
- 2019
Have received a total of $873 000 from NASA SBIR Phase I and II programs to develop Space Facility for Orbital Remote Manufacturing (SPACEFORM). Phase I was meant to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from TRL3 to TRL5 and Phase II from TRL6 to TRL8. FOMS has also demonstrated fiber production on parabolic aircraft flights in 2014. In the end of 2017, FOMS expected to launch their payload capable of producting multiple kilometer of fiber by the end of 2018. It launched in 2019 and produced fiber. They also received an award from Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS). FOMS holds a Trademark on SpaceFiber™. The NASA project funding was protested by Made In Space, which was dismissed.
Fiber Optic Manufacturing in Space (FOMS) Inc. presented the results Nov. 7 of its successful campaign to produce optical fiber on the International Space Station.
FOMS “successfully completed the calibration of the manufacturing hardware and demonstrated the first optical fiber manufacturing on orbit,” FOMS Principal Investigator Dmitry Starodubov announced at the 6th Workshop on Specialty Optical Fiber and Their Applications in Charleston, South Carolina. “The microgravity fiber demonstrated better uniformity than the fiber produced on the ground. This unique achievement is providing the basis for government and commercial utilization of our revolutionary space manufacturing platform.”
To produce optical fiber in orbit, FOMS created a suitcase size platform called Space Facility for Orbital Remote Manufacturing or SpaceFORM. FOMS sent two SpaceFORMs to ISS on a Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo resupply flight in April. Astronauts helped install the platforms. The experiments were then monitored and controlled remotely by FOMS from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
The experiment was returned by a SpaceX Dragon in June. NASA accepted delivery of the first optical fiber produced on orbit by FOMS on August 26.
Sources
Most sources should be linked in the texts and headings as revealed by mouse-over, but here are they listed for visibility.
News, Research, Projects and Patents
| Title | Type | Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOMS reports high-quality ZBLAN production on ISS | News | 2019-11-07 |
Similar Organizations
Invitro
In-Space Manufacturing
2) Demonstrated
In-Space Manufacturing, 3D Printing Electronics
5) Concept
In-Space Manufacturing
6) Dormant
In-Space Manufacturing, In-Space Production
3) Development
Space meat
In-Space Manufacturing
2) Demonstrated
In-Space Manufacturing, Resources - Oxygen
6) Dormant
Universal Glass Optics Manufacturing Module
In-Space Manufacturing, ISS Utilization Service
3) Development
Miscellaneous, In-Space Manufacturing
2) Demonstrated
In-Space Manufacturing
2) Demonstrated
In-Space Manufacturing
6) Dormant
Braskem Recycler
In-Space Manufacturing
2) Demonstrated
In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing, Space Mining
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing, Surface Habitats
4) Early stage
Cookies in Space
In-Space Manufacturing
2) Demonstrated
In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing, In-Space Production
6) Dormant
In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing, Software & Mission Control
4) Early stage
In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing
2) Demonstrated
Ray, Arc
Transport Service (Re-Entry), In-Space Manufacturing, Microgravity Flight Service (LEO), Microgravity Flight Service (Reusable Satellite)
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing, ISS Utilization Service
1) Active
In-Space Manufacturing, ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization)
4) Early stage
In-Space Manufacturing, In-Space Production
6) Dormant
Transport Service (Re-Entry), In-Space Manufacturing, Microgravity Flight Service (LEO), Microgravity Flight Service (Reusable Satellite)
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing, Resources - Energy
4) Early stage
In-Space Manufacturing
6) Dormant
In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
Microgravity Research Associates
In-Space Manufacturing
6) Dormant
In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing
4) Early stage
Orbital Can Station, MDRS FARMM
Commercial Space Station, Surface Habitats, In-Space Manufacturing, ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization)
5) Concept
Transport Service (LEO-Moon), Commercial Lunar Lander, In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing, Commercial Space Station
4) Early stage
In-Space Manufacturing, Space Construction Company, Space Robotics
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing, Space Tourism Support
4) Early stage
In-Space Manufacturing, Transport Service (Earth-LEO), Transport Service (Re-Entry)
3) Development
Transport Service (LEO-Moon), In-Space Manufacturing, On-Orbit Servicing, In-Orbit Inspection
3) Development
Archinaut
In-Space Manufacturing, In-Space Assembly
2) Demonstrated
In-Space Manufacturing, Microgravity Research Payloads
2) Demonstrated
In-Space Manufacturing, In-Space Assembly, Space Tug
4) Early stage
In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
In-Space Production, In-Space Manufacturing
2) Demonstrated
Space-CU
In-Space Manufacturing, ISS Utilization Service
4) Early stage
In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
OT-S, Optimus-1
Space Tug, In-Space Manufacturing, In-Space Logistics, Transport Service (LEO-GEO), In-Space Mobility
4) Early stage
In-Space Manufacturing
4) Early stage
In-Space Manufacturing
6) Dormant
In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing
3) Development
Refabricator, SpiderFab, LEO Knight
In-Space Manufacturing, On-Orbit Servicing, In-Space Assembly, In-Space Communications Relay
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing, Space Tug, On-Orbit Servicing
2) Demonstrated
Transport Service (Earth-LEO), Transport Service (LEO-Moon), In-Space Manufacturing, Microgravity Flight Service (LEO), Microgravity Flight Service (Reusable Satellite)
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing, In-Space Production, Microgravity Flight Service (Reusable Satellite), Transport Service (Re-Entry)
3) Development
In-Space Manufacturing
2) Demonstrated