This is something that will always come up: why don’t we start manufacturing in space? There are things that are best done in micro-gravity and can then demand a higher price.
It is of course correct, but it is not so simple.
I found inspiration here: https://edition.cnn.com/science/space-forge-factory-semiconductors-spc
There is a company (Space Forge from the UK) that is seriously looking at manufacturing specific crystals in space. Their product will be far more ‘pure’ and the crystals will form better and so on.
First of all, the mini-factory needs to be constructed. That is probably just a matter of engineering, so it should be possible.
It will need to be blasted into space, but that might still be simple. Elon and his people can do that.
So, now we have the factory in space. Solar panels (from Makro) all folded out and working. Plenty of power.
Then we wait for another delivery: the raw materials. This might not be so simple. The ‘package’ will have to be delivered by another rocket and somehow propelled to the factory. Then, somehow, they will have to meet and the transfer of raw material to take place.
OK, so now we have the raw materials in the factory and we can start the manufacturing.
Some weeks later, we have the finished order ready for the client. Then it is nicely wrapped (where did the wrapping material come from?) and now it needs to get to the client – who could sit in Germiston.
There is no way out of it. The package must be shielded from earth entry and that is some thousands of degrees. Then it needs to land ‘softly’ as a hard impact can easily destroy the entire thing.
That is technology that is known by now. However, there is a failure rate here that needs to be looked at. It can immediately drive up the cost.
Deploying a little factory in space might cost some $250,000 so the price has gone down.
But how many trips will it take to get the order processed? How much raw material? And delivery back to earth.
We all know that things can go wrong. So maybe a valve is not closing up there. It just needs a drop of oil and it will be fine, except … there is nobody to give it a drop of oil. Checkmate!
And the real ‘threat’: which country will tax the proceeds? It is not manufactured in any one country?
It is complicated