11:10 – 11:20
Orbital Manufacturing of Next-Generation Semiconductors
The growing commercial space economy is lowering launch costs and enabling the construction of large-scale orbital infrastructure, paving the way for industrialization in space. The unique conditions of LEO – such as the absence of convection and the availability of high vacuum – can enable the growth of large defect-free crystals of WBG semiconductors, photonics, and quantum materials which cannot be produced at commercial scale on the ground today. This will unlock new levels of performance and efficiency in critical applications like electric vehicles, renewable energy, and advanced computing.
This talk will explore how commercial space stations, space logistics providers and large-scale orbital infrastructure are together unlocking the production of next-generation semiconductors in space. It will also highlight commercial case studies demonstrating the feasibility and potential of this transformative technology.
Koichi Wakata
Axiom Space
Koichi Wakata is a veteran astronaut and globally recognized space leader who spearheads Axiom Space’s strategic expansion in the Asia-Pacific region and provides critical insight for the development of Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station. Wakata holds the Japanese record for the most space flights (five) and longest cumulative time in space (504 days). He made history as the first Japanese Shuttle Mission Specialist (1996) and the first Japanese ISS Commander (2014). He brings over 33 years of human spaceflight experience, having previously served as JAXA Vice President and ISS Operations Branch Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office.
Axiom Space
Company Profile
Axiom Space is the leading developer of next-generation orbital infrastructure and provider of human spaceflight services. Axiom Space is building the world’s first commercial space station, Axiom Station, and orbital infrastructure for orbital data centers and in-space manufacturing of semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. The company is pushing the boundaries of technological innovation and providing end-to-end solutions for the semiconductor industry to expand its research and manufacturing capabilities beyond Earth. Axiom Station and its scalable orbital infrastructure will enable the manufacturing of next-generation semiconductor materials for energy, compute, quantum, and automotive applications on the ground. Axiom Space is furthering American leadership in space exploration, elevating national space programs globally, and enabling the industrialization of space by redefining the pathway to sustained presence in the low-Earth orbit.
