The ISPARK programme, valued at 560,000 pounds including 485,000 pounds from the UK Space Agency, will design and test a robot mounted arc welding system intended for in orbit repair, structural joining and future orbital manufacturing.

Engineers plan to qualify the system for operation in the hostile conditions of space, where vacuum, microgravity, thermal swings and radiation, along with safety risks and physical demands on astronauts, have so far limited welding activity to very few demonstrations.

Under the project, the welding unit will be trialled in vacuum to assess performance, with results compared against digital twin models to validate the technology ahead of testing in the more complex thermal, radiative and dynamic environment of spaceflight.

The ISPARK team brings together the University of Leicesters experience in AI enabled robotics, autonomous control, space engineering and digital twin weld modelling with TWIs long standing expertise in welding and materials joining, aligning the work with the UKs National Space Strategy and its in space servicing, assembly and manufacturing roadmap.

Principal Investigator Dr Daniel Zhou Hao from the University of Leicester School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences said: ISPARK advances the UKs and the worlds capability for in space repair and manufacturing. By combining Leicesters strengths in AI robotics and space engineering with TWIs world leading welding expertise, we are developing an enabling technology that could redefine how large structures are built and maintained in orbit.

Dr Nick Ludford from TWI added: TWI is pleased to be partnering with the University of Leicester on this pioneering effort. Applying advanced welding technologies to the challenges of space is a natural extension of our expertise, and ISPARK provides a unique opportunity to help develop a capability that will be vital for future in orbit repair and construction.

Professor Dirk Schaefer, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of the University of Leicester College of Science and Engineering, said: This award underscores the University of Leicesters commitment to shaping the future of sustainable space operations and advanced manufacturing. ISPARK exemplifies the collaborative strength of Space Park Leicester, bringing together expertise from across the College of Science and Engineering and beyond, supported by strong industrial partnerships such as our collaboration with TWI.

Developing the UKs first in space robotic welding capability is not only a scientific and engineering milestone, it also supports a more responsible and resilient space economy where repairing, adapting and eventually manufacturing structures in orbit could reduce waste, extend mission lifetimes and open new options for long term exploration, with Leicester positioning itself inside a wider UK in space servicing, assembly and manufacturing ecosystem.

The ISPARK award sits within a broader UK Space Agency NSIP funding round worth 17 million pounds for 17 projects across space domain awareness, in orbit servicing and manufacturing, Earth observation, satellite communications, and position, navigation and timing, aimed at improving climate monitoring, connectivity, sustainable satellite operations and national security through technologies ranging from quantum communications and refuellable propulsion to robotic servicing and AI based pollution tracking.

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