ThinkOrbital

ThinkOrbital, based in the United States, is pioneering autonomous in-space manufacturing and assembly technologies — specifically developing orbital electron beam welding systems and structural assembly robots capable of constructing large space structures directly in orbit rather than launching pre-assembled components from Earth's surface, addressing a fundamental constraint on the size and geometry of structures deployable within launch vehicle fairings.

In May 2024, ThinkOrbital demonstrated the first-ever electron beam welding system operated in the orbital environment — a landmark in space manufacturing. Electron beam welding (EBW) is particularly suited to space: the hard vacuum of orbit eliminates the need for the protective vacuum chamber required for EBW on Earth's surface, and the high-energy focused electron beam can weld metals with very deep penetration and minimal heat-affected zone, producing strong joints in the aluminum alloys, titanium, and stainless steel used in space structure construction. This space-native process advantage makes orbital EBW potentially superior to terrestrial welding for certain joint geometries.

ThinkOrbital's intended applications span multiple in-space economy sectors: large space station module assembly (welding structural sections that arrive via launch vehicle to construct stations far larger than any single fairing could accommodate), satellite servicing and repair (patching micrometeorite damage, repairing structural anomalies on orbit), debris processing (cutting up large defunct satellites and rocket bodies into trackable or deorbitable pieces), and in-space manufacturing of structural components from raw material stock delivered in high-density form.

The company's technology addresses a core constraint of current space station architecture: the ISS is assembled from modules that fit within Space Shuttle and Soyuz Proton fairings, limiting individual module dimensions. Future stations (commercial LEO stations, lunar Gateway, potential Mars transit vehicles) could be vastly larger if welded assembly on orbit replaces fairing-limited delivered modules. ThinkOrbital competes conceptually with Made In Space (Redwire), Nanoracks manufacturing concepts, and Axiom Space modular assembly approaches.