Space.com
• Tereza Pultarova
Astroscale says technologies developed to remove space debris and service malfunctioning satellites could be adapted into fleets of spacecraft that guard high-value orbital assets. The proposal repurposes on-orbit servicing capabilities for satellite protection, bringing commercial spacecraft and security missions into closer alignment.
Space Debris & Traffic Management
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Astroscale says technologies developed to remove space debris and service malfunctioning satellites could be adapted into fleets of spacecraft that guard high-value orbital assets. The proposal repurposes on-orbit servicing capabilities for satellite protection, bringing commercial spacecraft and security missions into closer alignment.
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Europe’s €15.6 billion Iris2 constellation depends on shared public-private delivery, while ESA’s Space Rider prototype failed to deploy its parachute in a drop test. In parallel, ClearSpace won the UK’s first national active-debris-removal mission and agreed to work with Eutelsat on GEO life extension; Aerospacelab and KAI signed an MoU for South Korea’s K-LEO constellation.
Chinese startup Sinxbot has raised tens of millions of dollars from investors including Alibaba and China Mobile to develop robotic arms for on-orbit satellite refueling and deorbit services. The funding brings major Chinese technology and telecom investors into a venture targeting emerging in-space servicing capabilities.
A proposed refundable deposit, paid before launch, would give satellite operators a financial incentive to remove spacecraft from orbit at the end of their missions. Researchers argue the scheme could curb growing space debris and reduce the risk of reaching an orbital tipping point.
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Evidence points to debris found in a Minnesota cornfield coming from a Chinese Zhuque-2E rocket that deorbited over the state. The recovery connects a reentering launch vehicle to material reaching the ground, though the available reporting provides no further details on the debris or its impact.
Northrop Grumman is emphasizing its longstanding role in military space surveillance as the U.S. Space Force opens the in-orbit surveillance market to newer companies. The shift introduces competition in a mission area where established defense contractors bring experience, while new entrants seek a share of emerging government demand.
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The UK Space Agency has opened a public competition to name its planned 2029 active debris-removal mission. The spacecraft is intended to capture two defunct satellites in orbit, making the mission a practical demonstration of efforts to remove debris from Earth orbit.
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