Astroscale’s space cleanup business is finally taking off

According to SpaceNews, Astroscale has dramatically accelerated its mission tempo with eight missions planned over the next three years across multiple government agencies including JAXA, U.S. Space Force, ESA, and UK Space Agency. The company recently completed its ADRAS-J mission, approaching within 15 meters of a Japanese H-2A rocket upper stage to gather imagery. Next year brings even more ambitious operations – grabbing a OneWeb broadband satellite for removal from low Earth orbit and refueling two U.S. Space Force spacecraft in geostationary orbit. The Tokyo-based company has expanded globally with subsidiaries in the UK, US, France, and Israel since its 2013 founding focused solely on debris cleanup. Revenue is now flowing from all mission verticals including inspection, refueling, and debris removal. Chris Blackerby, Astroscale’s chief operations officer, revealed these details during the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney.

The push toward autonomous operations

Here’s the thing about operating in space – you can’t have humans making real-time decisions when your spacecraft is 15 meters from debris traveling at orbital velocities. Astroscale is building autonomous systems that take over during critical phases, with automatic failure detection that can restart operations when problems arise. But Blackerby admits their current approach with teams in the UK and Japan working nearly 24 hours across time zones isn’t sustainable. They’re planning to leverage AI and machine learning to reduce the operator burden as mission volume increases. The challenge? Training datasets for activities that have rarely been done before. Basically, every mission becomes a data collection exercise that informs future automation.

The sovereign capability advantage

Astroscale’s global expansion strategy is paying unexpected dividends. They initially set up subsidiaries in the UK, US, France, and Israel to access government contracts and tap into broader talent pools without requiring engineers to relocate to Tokyo. Now, with nations increasingly demanding sovereign space capabilities, having local companies in allied countries positions Astroscale perfectly. It’s less efficient than centralized manufacturing, but Blackerby acknowledges they’ll pay that “little extra” for redundant capabilities across offices. The real value? Acting as connective tissue between allied nations while providing each country with its own sovereign solution. Pretty smart positioning for a company working in the increasingly strategic domain of orbital operations.

The dual-use reality of space servicing

Let’s be real – any capability that can identify, approach, and dock with non-cooperative objects in space has obvious military applications. Blackerby doesn’t shy away from this, acknowledging that security precedes sustainability in orbital environments. Astroscale’s choice to establish operations in Five Eyes, AUKUS, and NATO countries reflects this understanding. Their technology could just as easily inspect adversary satellites as remove debris. This dual-use nature explains why government investment is driving the sector forward while commercial customers wait for price points to become viable. The space neighborhood being built isn’t just about cleanup – it’s about establishing persistent capabilities that serve both economic and security interests.

What’s coming in orbital services

The roadmap is packed. Beyond next year’s satellite grabbing and refueling missions, Astroscale has ADRAS-J2 launching in a couple years to actually remove debris, plus inspection missions like ISSA-J for close-up imagery. Their recent partnership with Australian startup HEO Robotics expands GEO inspection capabilities – HEO takes pictures while passing objects, while Astroscale develops deeper inspection technology. The big question: when does this become commercially viable beyond government contracts? Blackerby suggests continued government demand will drive manufacturing efficiencies and cost reductions until commercial customers see the value. With eight missions in three years versus barely any a few years back, the pace is definitely picking up. Space is about to get a lot more active – and hopefully cleaner.