From experiments to operational campaigns: the logistics, operations, and mobility factors that will scale in-space manufacturing for resilient orbital logistics and space domain advantage

Microgravity manufacturing is moving from isolated demonstrations toward commercial production, but manufacturing at scale in LEO is primarily a logistics and operations problem that will shape the next phase of orbital infrastructure, resilient supply chains, and space-domain operations. This panel reframes in-space manufacturing as an end-to-end production system where only some process steps require microgravity, and where the boundaries between “factory,” “vehicle,” “station,” and “return system” will blur as architectures mature. Building on ISS-proven automation and modular workflows, we will explore how operational campaigns can be executed with factory-like cadence using uncrewed persistent nodes, modular campaign hardware, resilient data infrastructure, autonomous operations, and return logistics designed as part of the manufacturing supply chain.

The discussion will address key decisions facing process managers, industrial engineers, program managers, commercial operators, logistics providers, and government agencies: when does the factory travel versus stay on-orbit, which steps belong in microgravity versus on the ground, what orbital locations best support different manufacturing modes, and how ownership, safety, space traffic management, and regulatory responsibility should evolve as commercial activity increases. We will also cover resilient and sustainable orbital structures, economical approaches to on-orbit factory assembly, and environmentally robust entry, descent, and landing modules and receiving workflows, because the return pathway is part of the manufacturing system, not merely transportation.

Key takeaways: a practical “campaign-operability” checklist, a mobility and location decision framework, and a set of scale-enabler demos, standards, and metrics that can unlock cadence while maintaining safety and mission assurance.

Potential speakers: Jon Beam (Rogue Space Systems, moderator), Rose Hernandez (Space Phoenix Systems), Narasimha S. Prasad (NASA Langley Research Center), David Beck (SpaceTech).