Astroscale

Astroscale is the first commercial company worldwide proposing to aid in the removal of orbital debris. Founded in 2013 by IT entrepreneur, Nobu Okada, it now employs over 70 staff across four countries; UK, Japan, Singapore and the US. The UK office was opened in 2017 and located in Harwell, Oxfordshire. ​

Astroscale is totally dedicated to the removal of space debris to ensure orbital sustainability fur future generations. It has two business lines: End-of-Life (EOL) Management – preparing satellites with a docking mechanism before launch that will allow for eventual removal from orbit, and Active Debris Removal (ADR) – working with national space agencies to research and develop missions for the removal of existing debris, such as rocket upper stages and defunct satellites.

Astroscale is currently developing its pioneering End-of-Life Service by Astroscale (ELSA) demonstrator programme to de-orbit a spacecraft utilising a novel docking plate. ELSA-d is scheduled for launch in 2020.​