Redwire Opens New Commercial Market for In Space Production with First Sale of Space-Manufactured Optical Crystal
23 6월 2022 - 8:00PM
Business Wire
Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW), a leader in space
infrastructure for the next generation space economy, announced the
first sale of its space-manufactured optical crystal to researchers
at the Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis (CEMAS), a
leading electron microscopy facility, at The Ohio State University.
The transaction recorded two grams of space-manufactured crystal
were sold to Ohio State. Based on the sample size sold, the
space-manufactured crystals have an approximate value of $2 million
per kilogram.
The space-enabled optical crystal was manufactured in Redwire’s
Industrial Crystallization Facility (ICF) onboard the International
Space Station (ISS). This transaction marks the first time that a
space-enabled materials product has been sold on Earth—a
significant milestone for space commercialization and a demand
signal for Redwire’s space-based manufacturing.
Space-manufactured optical crystals could provide significant
improvements to high-power, large laser systems used on Earth. The
high-energy laser market is seeing strong growth with an increasing
number of terrestrial applications from advanced manufacturing and
machining to weapons systems. These laser systems are enabled by
high efficiency laser lenses that are produced using optical
crystals.
Currently, optical crystals manufactured on Earth have lower
damage thresholds due to gravity-induced inclusions and defects
which limits the output of high-power laser systems since the
lenses are subjected to laser-induced damage. Space-manufactured
optical crystals could improve system performance because they have
a higher laser damage threshold due to fewer inclusions and defects
because of the space manufacturing process.
“This is an exciting milestone that validates our
commercialization plan for manufacturing space-enabled products in
low-Earth orbit and further stimulates demand for in-space
production,” said Andrew Rush, Redwire’s President and COO. “This
is a watershed moment for space commercialization. While we are
continuing to refine production techniques for a variety of
products, we are now expanding our focus beyond pathfinder
demonstrations to increasing production of space-enabled products
sustainably, profitably, and at scale. Redwire’s orbital factory is
open for business, and we are expanding our on-orbit capabilities
to serve new markets.”
“The ability for Ohio State to work with space-grown crystals
improves our ability to grow CEMAS as a signature materials
characterization and research facility unlike any other, for
space-based and terrestrial materials, addressing complex
challenges in domains ranging from cancer to planetary science,”
said Dr. John Horack, Professor and Neil Armstrong Chair in
Aerospace at Ohio State.
CEMAS researchers will study the space-grown crystal and compare
it to Earth-grown potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystals
using aberration-corrected electron microscopy to observe
atomic-scale differences in impurities and defects between the two
materials, something that has not yet been achieved. The
space-manufactured crystal presents an opportunity for CEMAS to
build the group's capabilities for analyzing materials manufactured
in space and those that could be returned from asteroids, the Moon
and Mars in the future. The insights from this research could also
inform the development process of space-manufactured optical
crystals to optimize future products.
Launched in early 2021, ICF is a commercial in-space
manufacturing facility designed to demonstrate
microgravity-enhanced techniques for growing inorganic KDP crystals
that are commonly used in high-energy laser systems on Earth. The
facility is just one of several Redwire ISS payloads developed with
the purpose of catalyzing and scaling demand for commercial
capabilities in LEO by producing high-value products for
terrestrial use.
To learn more about Redwire’s in-space manufacturing
capabilities, visit www.redwirespace.com
About Redwire
Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW) is a leader in space
infrastructure for the next generation space economy, with valuable
IP for solar power generation and in-space 3D printing and
manufacturing. With decades of flight heritage combined with the
agile and innovative culture of a commercial space platform,
Redwire is uniquely positioned to assist its customers in solving
the complex challenges of future space missions. For more
information, please visit www.redwirespace.com.
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Media Contact: Tere Riley Tere.Riley@redwirespace.com
321-831-0134
OR
Investors: investorrelations@redwirespace.com
904-425-1431
Redwire (NYSE:RDW)
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