Astroscale secures major contract for UK Active Debris Removal mission

Written by Copernical Team Friday, 13 September 2024 14:47

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London, UK (SPX) Sep 12, 2024

Astroscale UK, the British arm of Astroscale Holdings Inc., has been awarded a GBP 1.95 million contract by the UK Space Agency to further develop its Cleaning Outer Space Mission through Innovative Capture (COSMIC) spacecraft. The COSMIC mission aims to remove two inactive UK satellites from orbit as part of a national Active Debris Removal (ADR) effort. This phase of the mission will con

Astroscale secures major contract for UK Active Debris Removal mission
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Sep 12, 2024

Astroscale UK, the British arm of Astroscale Holdings Inc., has been awarded a GBP 1.95 million contract by the UK Space Agency to further develop its Cleaning Outer Space Mission through Innovative Capture (COSMIC) spacecraft. The COSMIC mission aims to remove two inactive UK satellites from orbit as part of a national Active Debris Removal (ADR) effort.

This phase of the mission will concentrate on advancing and mitigating risks in key technologies, including robotic capture systems and debris detumbling capabilities. Astroscale will draw on its experience from ongoing missions to deliver a reliable ADR solution for the UK.

"We're delighted to have been awarded this UK Space Agency contract to progress the further development of a UK ADR mission towards implementation," said Nick Shave, Managing Director of Astroscale UK. "Our UK ADR mission design ensures a low-risk approach because it is based on flight-proven heritage from Astroscale missions in-orbit now such as ELSA-d and ADRAS-J, plus many mission elements from our UK-focused industrial supply chain with flight heritage."

Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, emphasized the importance of this mission in addressing the growing challenge of space debris: "The global space industry continues to set new records for the number of satellites launched into orbit, with more than 2,780 launched in 2023 alone. While these satellites deliver valuable services back to people on Earth, we also need to make sure we protect the space environment and develop new ways to remove space debris. That's why this next phase of work towards a national ADR mission is so important. We want to build on the successful completion of the preliminary mission designs, and support Astroscale and their partners as they continue to develop and derisk this innovative technology."

Astroscale UK's winning proposal includes collaboration with several leading UK and European space companies such as Airbus Defence and Space UK, MDA UK, Nammo UK, and others. The COSMIC mission will be developed at Astroscale's Zeus facility in the UK, utilizing a robust supply chain that spans the country and consists of nearly 100 companies. This project will not only enhance the UK's space capabilities but also support the creation of highly skilled jobs and foster greater cooperation within the nation's space clusters.

The COSMIC servicer is a continuation of Astroscale's work on the End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-Multi-client (ELSA-M) mission. Earlier this year, Astroscale UK signed a contract with Eutelsat OneWeb to complete the final phase of the ELSA-M in-orbit demonstration as part of the Sunrise Partnership Project with support from the European Space Agency and the UK Space Agency. The ELSA-M mission, which will provide commercial end-of-life services for satellites, is slated for launch in the fiscal year ending April 2026.

Astroscale's broader work includes the ADRAS-J mission, led by Astroscale Japan for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration (CRD2) program. This mission has achieved significant milestones since its launch in February 2024, including successful fly-around operations of an unprepared rocket body. Astroscale Japan will also move forward with Phase II of the CRD2 program, which involves the removal and deorbiting of the upper stage.