<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><ns2:project xmlns:ns1="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api" xmlns:ns2="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/project" xmlns:ns3="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/fund" xmlns:ns4="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/person" xmlns:ns5="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/project/outcome" xmlns:ns6="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/organisation" ns1:created="2026-06-22T07:57:45Z" ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/projects/CB2AFC77-A980-4DD0-920E-5E857D36B521" ns1:id="CB2AFC77-A980-4DD0-920E-5E857D36B521"><ns1:links><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/persons/2DED7E70-5F7C-4F22-AE20-EF0766970BD1" ns1:rel="PM_PER"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/A6DED3E7-3CA1-4E8A-8F75-D07E1AF53E69" ns1:rel="LEAD_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/A6DED3E7-3CA1-4E8A-8F75-D07E1AF53E69" ns1:rel="PARTICIPANT_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/77FAF886-D62F-4618-9ADB-7AF7A2217A31" ns1:rel="PARTICIPANT_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:end="2018-12-31T00:00:00Z" ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/funds/A4EF8287-8AB6-422D-96CC-03FA255EB360" ns1:rel="FUND" ns1:start="2017-12-01T00:00:00Z"/></ns1:links><ns2:identifiers><ns2:identifier ns2:type="RCUK">104087</ns2:identifier></ns2:identifiers><ns2:title>Robotic In-Space Manufacturing Demo</ns2:title><ns2:status>Closed</ns2:status><ns2:grantCategory>Feasibility Studies</ns2:grantCategory><ns2:leadFunder>ISCF</ns2:leadFunder><ns2:abstractText>In the next decade, both government and commercial entities will increasingly rely on robotic in-space assembly, manufacturing and servicing for the setup and maintenance of future space assets for civil and commercial missions. Intelsat published an analysis (AIAA Sep 2014) that calculated that on-orbit servicing could save commercial telecomunications companies alone $28M per year per spacecraft. While fields of autonomy, robotics, and space engineering are all making progress, true representative in-space manufacturing and assembly as an end-to-end process has not been widely demonstrated, despite the UK having a strong knowledge base in all these three areas. This project will assess the feasibility of combining the Lightweight Advanced Robotic Arm Demonstrator (LARAD) technologies, including its metallic-composite structure, to robotically demonstrate the construction of representative space structures in a laboratory environment. The Phase-2 demonstration will be a major stepping stone in providing our end-user with the means to fly an actual in-space manufacturing spacecraft in the early 2020's. Both phase-1 and phase-2 of this demonstrator will enhance the UK's momentum in the robotic, autonomous and space technology sectors.</ns2:abstractText></ns2:project>