Astroscale Sends its First Space-Sweeper to Orbit

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Vish
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Astroscale Sends its First Space-Sweeper to Orbit

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Astroscale, the Japanese startup that wants to remove dangerous clutter from an already congested space environment, reached a critical milestone with the successful launch of its ELSA-D debris removal spacecraft early Monday morning.

Russia’s GK Launch Services sent ELSA-D into space on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The mission was originally scheduled to take place early Saturday morning, but was pushed back due to technical issues detected on the rocket before launch.


Once in orbit and activated, the ELSA-D will conduct a six-month “End-of-Life” on-orbit servicing demonstration. Astroscale said the mission, which is licensed by the UK Space Agency, is the world’s first commercial mission to demonstrate the core technologies necessary for space debris docking and removal. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) built the ELSA-d satellite and shipped it to Astroscale in 2019. The spacecraft incorporates S-Band communications, GPS positioning, a 3-axis control system, and an HD camera to capture operations in orbit on video.

“This landmark mission will also enable better-informed policy developments and drive the business case for on-orbit services such as end-of-life and active debris removal,” said Astroscale Founder and CEO Nobu Okada. “This is an incredible moment, not only for our team, but for the entire satellite servicing industry, as we work towards maturing the debris removal market and ensuring the responsible use of our orbits.”

Okada founded Astroscale in 2013 and has since grown the company into a global organization with nearly 200 employees and major divisions in the United States, Israel, Singapore, and Europe. He was recently nominated for Via Satellite’s Executive of the Year Award.
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