UK Takes Bold Step Toward in Space Robotic Welding

The University of Leicester together with TWI have secured National Space Innovation Programme funding to develop what will be the UK’s first robotic welding capability designed specifically for operation beyond Earth. The project known as ISPARK short for Intelligent SPace Arc welding Robotic Kit will push welding technology where few have ever attempted, and none have yet qualified for routine use.

Awarded £560,000 (including £485,000 from UK Space Agency (UKSA)) NSIP Call 2 ISPARK was selected from more than 560 proposals with only 17 advancing. This is a significant indicator of both the challenge and the national importance of establishing an in space joining and repair process.

Why does welding in space matter? This is the key to future orbital construction repair and extended mission life. Human welding in space is extremely rare and risky due to vacuum conditions, absence of gravity extreme, thermal variation and the physical burden placed on astronauts. ISPARK aims to replace human exposure with AI enabled robotics capable of performing joining operations autonomously.

Under the program engineers will develop a mounted arc welding robotic system and then put it through vacuum based qualification trials. Performance will be benchmarked against advanced digital twin weld models to verify accuracy before it proceeds to later testing in conditions closer to true orbital reality, including radiation thermal cycling and dynamic movement.

This partnership brings together Leicester expertise in robotics autonomous control space engineering and digital weld simulation with TWIs world recognised leadership in welding and materials joining. Together they are developing technology that could change how spacecraft are maintained and how large structures may be built directly in orbit.