Company - SpaceWorks Enterprises
Product/Service
- Classification
- In-Space Manufacturing
- Category
- In-Space Manufacturing
- Fields
- Orbital Microfabrication
- Status
- Development
- First launch
- Not announced
High-Cadence Microgravity Silicon Semiconductor Crystal Manufacturing
- This prototype processing and reentry system can be hosted on readily available commercial orbital platforms. The reentry vehicle is engineered for high-cadence payload return of in-space-manufactured materials. The recoverable microgravity semiconductor crystal manufacturing payload aims to enable high-temperature silicon crystal growth in microgravity and support scalable, low-cost in-space manufacturing.
- NASA TechLeap Prize Announces Ten Winners of Space Technology Payload Challenge, 2025.
- Each winner can receive up to $500,000, plus the opportunity to flight test their technologies.
Product/Service - RED-25, RED-DATA2, RED-XR
- Classification
- Cargo Transportation & Landers
- Category
- Transport Service (Re-Entry)
Microgravity Flight Service (LEO)
- Fields
- Space Capsule
- Status
- Launched, Demonstrated, Development
- First launch
- 2017
RED-25
- Reconfigurable Payload Bay
- Guided Parafoil Precision Landing
- On-orbit Loading
Applications - Sample Return
- Zero Gravity Experiments
- On-Demand Cargo Return
Specifications - Size: 1.0 m diameter
- Mass: <120 kg
- 100 kg of payload mass
- We will continue to pursue our goal of offering the lowest price payload return capability from orbit. Current delivery services are far too expensive to enable commercial product development and open up the space frontier. We aim to change that.”
- The MoU will establish a collaborative relationship between SpaceWorks and Southern Launch to investigate facilitating the return of the SpaceWorks RED vehicles to the Koonibba Test Range.
SpaceWorks to Fly In-Orbit Manufacturing Tech in 2026, 2025-07-15.
- The mission, funded in part through NASA’s $500,000 TechLeap Prize, will bring Astral Materials’ semiconductor crystal manufacturing payload to orbit aboard SpaceWorks’ RED 25 reentry capsule.
- With the help of a NASA-selected orbital transfer vehicle, the capsule and payload will operate on-orbit for three to 12 months. The capsule will then reenter the atmosphere and splash down in the ocean, where SpaceWorks will attempt to recover it.
- SpaceWorks’ RED 25 reentry capsule is about 0.8 meters in diameter and can support payloads up to 25 kg. As part of the TechLeap prize, SpaceWorks has developed environmental controls—and other custom features—to support Astral’s semiconductor crystal manufacturing capabilities.
- SpaceWorks flew an early version of its reentry capsule technology to the ISS in 2017, and another to near-space for a high-altitude drop test in 2021, but the 2026 mission marks the kick-off of the company’s commercial offering.
RED-Data
RED-XR
RED-Phoenix
RED-Rescue
FuseBox Docking Connector
Our team continues to advance our patented FuseBlox docking connector!
Status Comment
First flight in 2017 but 2026 will see the first flight of the commercial offering. RED-XR platform being actively developed as of 2024.
Notes
Created: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2025-09-06