Made In Space, Inc. to Demonstrate Manufacture of Exotic Optical Fiber in Space
Summary
Research stretching back to NASA-led work in the early 1990’s indicates that manufacturing ZBLAN in a microgravity environment unlocks its commercial potential by reducing or eliminating these imperfections.The organization’s highly integrated and diverse manufacturing assets include semiconductor fabrication of Fabry-Perot, DFB, and VCSEL lasers, fiber towers for drawing glass optical fibers (silica and fluoride), MBE/MOCVD epitaxial wafer growth reactors, extensive glass and metal fabrication facilities, advanced thin film deposition capabilities, and optomechanical and optoelectronic shops.Research stretching back to NASA-led work in the early 1990’s indicates that manufacturing ZBLAN in a microgravity environment unlocks its commercial potential by reducing or eliminating these imperfections.Microgravity-produced optical fiber is a strong candidate for providing the necessary additional bandwidth.“Historically, the commercial space industry has profited off of satellite telecommunications-- sending ones and zeros back and forth.The organization’s highly integrated and diverse manufacturing assets include semiconductor fabrication of Fabry-Perot, DFB, and VCSEL lasers, fiber towers for drawing glass optical fibers (silica and fluoride), MBE/MOCVD epitaxial wafer growth reactors, extensive glass and metal fabrication facilities, advanced thin film deposition capabilities, and optomechanical and optoelectronic shops.About CASIS:The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) was selected by NASA in July 2011 to maximize use of the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory through 2020.