Defining factory in space: comparative analysis of components, features, and functions

The current limitations imposed by traditional launch constraints – namely mass, volume, and cost – significantly restrict the potential for large payload deployment in space. Coupled with the scarcity of resources in extraterrestrial environments, it means that for a new Space Economy to prosper, there is a need for sustainable, self-sufficient systems. In response to this challenge, new research initiatives and launch vehicle advancements provide opportunities for the implementation of innovative new technologies that can be coupled with existing systems and/or used to establish a new Factory in Space (FIS). FIS represents a paradigm shift, promoting the manufacturing, servicing, refurbishing, recycling, reusing, and repairing of components directly in space, thereby mitigating conventional launch barriers and optimizing the use of in-situ resources. Initiatives such as NASA’s OSAM project, SpaceX’s development of the Starship, and Northrop Grumman’s success on-orbit servicing demonstration missions demonstrate the early progress towards the realization of an integrated FIS ecosystem. Despite individual studies investigating various facets of FIS, a comprehensive and cohesive understanding of FIS as a single ecosystem remains absent. This study addresses this gap by systematically defining the FIS ecosystem through a detailed analysis of its associated components, features, and functions. This study applies an Expert-Informed Mixed-Method Synthesis framework, integrating a hybrid literature analysis and semi-structured expert interviews, to derive a definitional framework for FIS. The framework specifies modular technological components and their functional interdependencies within architectures designed for scalability and resilience in deep space exploration contexts. The outcomes presented not only advance the understanding of the FIS ecosystem but also lay the groundwork for future research, underscoring its pivotal role in the new Space Economy and implications for advancing in-space manufacturing capabilities.