ArcSpace Slates 2027 In-Orbit Welding Demonstration
French startup ArcSpace secures €2 million to flight-qualify automated electron-beam welding systems for orbital assembly and spacecraft servicing.
DATA FEED: ORBITAL MANUFACTURING
French in-orbit manufacturing firm ArcSpace has confirmed its schedule for a 2027 orbital technology demonstration. According to reporting by European Spaceflight, the startup recently secured €2 million in seed funding to finalize the qualification of its proprietary flight hardware and expand its engineering team.
Founded in 2022, ArcSpace specializes in compact electron-beam tools. These systems are engineered to perform high-precision welding, joining, and cutting of metallic structures in vacuum environments. The primary operational goals include spacecraft servicing and the assembly of large-scale orbital infrastructure that exceeds current launch fairing volumes.
MISSION PARAMETERS
The 2027 mission will utilize a 12-kilogram payload, described by CEO Guillaume Mohara as a highly compact unit relative to its operational capabilities. The hardware will integrate with a host spacecraft provided by a partner organization, the identity of which is expected to be declassified later this month.
Operational protocols for the mission emphasize high-level autonomy. While ground controllers will trigger specific test sequences, the actual welding maneuvers will be managed by onboard computers. The demonstration is expected to consist of multiple test runs, each lasting approximately one hour, to validate the reliability of automated metal fusion in the microgravity environment.