OrbiSky has been awarded a contract by the UK Space Agency to deliver SkyYield, a study defining an end-to-end payload concept for manufacturing ZBLAN optical fibre in Low Earth Orbit. The work focuses on the verification and process control evidence needed to help in-orbit manufacturing progress from one-off demonstrations to repeatable operations that customers can assess and accept.
SkyYield will set out how an in-orbit manufacturing payload could monitor key process variables, maintain control through the run, and produce an auditable record that supports acceptance decisions. This includes identifying what data must be captured, how it should be validated, and how the resulting evidence can be packaged for review.
ZBLAN is a specialist optical fibre with potential advantages in loss performance compared with conventional silica fibre, with applications including telecommunications and medical imaging. Manufacturing conditions in microgravity can enable improvements in material outcomes, but adoption depends on repeatability, monitoring, and clear proof of quality.
Sylvester Kaczmarek, Chief Executive Officer at OrbiSky, said: “SkyYield is about turning the unique conditions of microgravity into real-world capability. With UK Space Agency support, we’ll define a credible, end-to-end payload concept for manufacturing ultra-low-loss ZBLAN optical fibre in orbit, including the process controls and verification needed for commercial adoption. This is an important step towards new UK-led markets in space manufacturing, with clear benefits for telecoms and medical imaging.“
The UK Space Agency has highlighted in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) as a priority capability area for UK leadership, growth, and national security. SkyYield supports that direction by concentrating on the verification layer that underpins operational use, procurement confidence, and regulatory readiness.
Further information is available from the UK Space Agency announcement and OrbiSky’s published materials.
