Remote-controlled robots could soon build huge solar farms in space, according to a recent test conducted in the UK. British startup Space Solar has demonstrated that robotics can assemble gigawatt-scale solar satellites, opening up new possibilities for future space infrastructure.
Content index
- How does robotic assembly in space work?
- Why are robots crucial to space infrastructure?
- What are the technical challenges to overcome?
- Timeline and future perspectives of the projects
- Economic and environmental impacts
How does robotic assembly of space infrastructure work?
The test AlbaTRUSS, conducted at the UKAEA's advanced facilities At Oxford University's Culham campus, he used remotely controlled, twin-arm robotic manipulators to demonstrate that robots could assemble gigawatt-scale solar satellites.
These machines are not the usual industrial robots we know from factories on Earth. They are designed to operate in the vacuum of space, withstand radiation, and function without oxygen. Sam Adlen, co-CEO of Space Solar, explains how in space the sun shines 24 hours a day, and once built, these satellites capture the sun's energy and transmit it to Earth in the form of microwaves.
The project demonstrated that robots can assemble a scaled structural section called a “longeron,” a tubular member that forms the core of the satellite’s framework. Unlike the International Space Station, the largest structure ever built in space, these satellites require much more complex and large-scale assembly.
As we have highlighted Speaking of robotics trends 2025, adaptive artificial intelligence and advanced sensors are transforming the way robots operate in extreme environments.
Why do space infrastructures necessarily require robots?
The answer is as simple as it is dramatic: space is a lethal environment for humans. Professor Rob Buckingham, executive director of the UKAEA, stresses that building a complex machine like a fusion power plant on Earth, which will be entirely controlled remotely, is similar to building structures in space.
Extravehicular activities by astronauts are extremely expensive and risky. According to industry experts, using robots to remotely assemble, maintain, and dismantle infrastructure is more efficient and reduces the risks faced by astronauts. Consider the multibillion-dollar Space Shuttle missions to repair the Hubble telescope: they were exceptional precisely because such operations are normally prohibitively expensive.
UKAEA chose to collaborate with Space Solar because fusion and space robotics have several things in common: they do not require oxygen environments and can operate in varying degrees of radiation. This technological synergy could accelerate the development of both sectors.
Space infrastructure of the future is not limited to solar panels. The demonstration opens the doors to all kinds of projects in the cosmos, from data centers to energy facilities. Imagine orbital data centers, lunar communications stations, or even mining facilities on Mars.
What technical challenges do space infrastructure robots have to overcome?
Space robotics faces unique challenges that go far beyond those on Earth. First, there is the problem of communications latency: controlling a robot on the Moon from Earth involves a delay of several seconds, making real-time control impossible for sensitive operations.
For this reason, autonomy is crucial because, due to the limitations of the speed of light, it will not be possible to control every movement of these robots remotely from Earth. The robots must be equipped with advanced artificial intelligence to make independent decisions.
Neuromorphic technology emerges as a key solution. This technology is perfect for space: lower power consumption means less heat dissipation, and allows up to five times more computational power for the same electricity budget.
Another critical aspect concerns the materials and structure of the robots themselves. They must withstand extreme temperatures ranging from -270°C in the shade to over 120°C in the sun, cosmic radiation and micrometeorites. In addition, the lack of gravity creates movement dynamics completely different from those on Earth.
We had an argument of the risks and opportunities of the robotic future, highlighting how the design of autonomous systems requires precise rules to ensure safety.
When will we see the first space infrastructure built by robots?
Development times are closer than you might imagine. Space Solar predicts to commission its first 30MW demonstration system by 2029 and reach full gigawatt-scale capacity by the early 30s.
To put these numbers into perspective: a 30-megawatt system can power about 1000 homes, while a gigawatt could meet the energy needs of a medium-sized city. The planned structures are impressive: the satellites are designed to be several kilometers long and about 20 meters wide.
The AlbaTRUSS project, supported by a Proof of Concept grant from the Science and Technology Facilities Council, is just the beginning. NASA is developing in parallel the ARMADAS (Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems) program, which aims to create self-assembling structures for habitats, instrumentation or any other structures in orbit or on the lunar surface.
The international race has already begun: the European Space Agency, NASA, and several startups in the UK, US, China and Japan are all working to make space solar power a reality.
What economic and environmental impact will these infrastructures have?
The numbers are as impressive as they are controversial. The initial development of a gigawatt-scale prototype could cost €15-20 billion. This seems like an astronomical figure, but it must be compared to the costs of traditional energy structures and considering that these are investments for decades of operation.
The energy advantage is undeniable: compared to a solar panel placed on Earth in the UK, an identical solar panel in space would collect over 13 times more energy. This is because in space there is no atmosphere, clouds or day-night cycle to limit the solar collection.
However, the environmental impact raises complex issues. Installing a satellite of that scale could involve hundreds of separate rocket launches, contributing to air pollution. It is a paradox of our time: to get clean energy in space, we must pollute the Earth's atmosphere during the construction phase.
The UKAEA-Space Solar partnership aims to strengthen the UK’s leadership in the rapidly growing space assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) sector. This sector is expected to reach enormous market values in the coming decades.
Professor Buckingham sees even broader implications: it could be a lunar station or a facility on Mars, so we are talking about the future of humanity as well as ensuring energy security.
The future of space infrastructure is already here
The AlbaTRUSS demonstration marks a turning point in our ability to build complex structures in space. This is no longer science fiction, but applied engineering with real timelines and real investment.
Humanity's expansion into space requires structures that can only be built by robots. With the experience gained in orbital services, these technologies will become the basis for building structures on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
In twenty years, 10 billion people on Earth will be able to look up and see the city lights on the night side of the crescent moon. What seems like a bold vision today may be just a normal view from your window tomorrow.
Robots are literally building the bridge to our future among the stars. And that bridge necessarily passes through the space structures that are beginning to take shape in the brilliant minds and mechanical hands of our artificial allies.
