Tag: Astroscale
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UK Space Agency Delays £75.6 Million Active Debris Removal Contract Award
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has delayed awarding a contract for the next phase of the United Kingdom’s first active orbital debris removal mission, missing its original deadline for the £75.6 million program. Astronomy The contract for Phase 3 of the Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission was initially scheduled to be awarded by March 30,…
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Spaceium Demonstrates High-Precision Robotic Actuator for Future In-Orbit Refueling
U.S. robotics startup Spaceium has demonstrated a high-precision actuator in orbit, a technology it says could enable future robotic refueling and servicing of satellites. The component flew aboard a SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission launched in November and was tested in space rather than in laboratory conditions. According to the company, the device achieved rotational accuracy…
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Japan Defence Ministry Awards Astroscale Contract to Develop Satellite Gripping Technology
Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has awarded Astroscale Japan a contract valued at 1 billion yen ($6.4 million) to develop a gripping mechanism designed for use with national satellites, the company said. Under the contract, Astroscale Japan will design the mechanism and conduct ground-based demonstrations to test its ability to grip national security satellites under…
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Astroscale Clears Design Milestone for Satellite Removal Mission in 2025
Astroscale’s British subsidiary has completed the critical design review (CDR) for its satellite servicer under the End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-Multiple (ELSA-M) program, the company said Tuesday. The milestone paves the way for the next phase of assembly, integration and testing, ahead of a mission to remove a defunct OneWeb broadband satellite from low Earth orbit…
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Astroscale aced the world’s first rendezvous with a piece of space junk
There’s a scene in the film Interstellar where Matthew McConaughey’s character flies his spaceplane up to meet a mothership spinning out of control. The protagonist rises to the challenge with a polished piece of piloting and successfully links up with his objective. Real life, of course, isn’t quite this dramatic. Slow down that spin to a…
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There are 2,000-plus dead rockets in orbit—here’s a rare view of one
There are more than 2,000 mostly intact dead rockets circling the Earth, but until this year, no one ever launched a satellite to go see what one looked like after many years of tumbling around the planet. In February, a Japanese company named Astroscale sent a small satellite into low-Earth orbit on top of a…
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There are 2,000-plus dead rockets in orbit—here’s a rare view of one
There are more than 2,000 mostly intact dead rockets circling the Earth, but until this year, no one ever launched a satellite to go see what one looked like after many years of tumbling around the planet. In February, a Japanese company named Astroscale sent a small satellite into low-Earth orbit on top of a…
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Seraphim Space Investment Trust Reports Resilient Growth Despite Astroscale IPO Setback
Seraphim Space Investment Trust (SSIT) announced a 1.4% increase in the total value of early-stage space investments in its publicly traded trust, reaching 201 million pounds ($257 million). This growth occurred despite a setback from Astroscale’s discounted initial public offering (IPO). Astroscale, a Japanese debris removal venture, went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on…
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Rocket Report: Starliner launch preps; Indian rocket engine human-rated
Welcome to Edition 6.32 of the Rocket Report! I’m writing the report again this week as Eric Berger is in Washington, DC, to receive a well-earned honor, the 2024 Excellence in Commercial Space Journalism Award from the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. Cape Canaveral is the world’s busiest spaceport, and this week, three leading US launch companies…
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Before snagging a chunk of space junk, Astroscale must first catch up to one
Astroscale, a well-capitalized Japanese startup, is preparing a small satellite to do something that has never been done in space. This new spacecraft, delivered into orbit Sunday by Rocket Lab, will approach a defunct upper stage from a Japanese H-IIA rocket that has been circling Earth for more than 15 years. Over the next few…