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Astroscale, a space sustainability company, is preparing to launch a mission to remove decades-old space junk from Earth’s orbit. The company previously conducted a successful demonstration of active space debris removal technology with its ELSA-d mission in 2021. However, this technology could only be used on satellites designed with debris removal capabilities. The new technology, known as Cosmic (Cleaning Outer Space Mission through Innovative Capture), aims to target old satellites that have been tumbling in space for years and do not have special features for a removal spacecraft to attach to.

The mission’s purpose is to remove two defunct debris satellites that are currently in Earth’s orbit. These satellites, launched in the 1990s, are reaching the end of their life and weigh under 100 kilograms. The Cosmic debris removal spacecraft faces significant challenges as the targeted satellites may have partially disintegrated and could be difficult to grab. Additionally, the long-dead satellites are likely to tumble through space, making capture even trickier.

Astroscale plans to use autonomous navigation software, tested during the ELSA-d mission, and a state-of-the-art robotic arm developed by MDA, the same company behind the International Space Station’s Canadarm2. The robotic arm will capture the old satellites by their launch adapter ring and drag the debris into a low orbit. From there, the debris will enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up. The spacecraft will then return to collect a second object.

The mission, competing with a cleanup proposal by CleanSpace, is currently being considered for funding by the UK Space Agency. If selected, the launch is planned for 2026, following the ELSA-M mission. Astroscale aims to mature its technologies, particularly the autonomous approach and navigation system, through ELSA-M before attempting the more challenging task of capturing old space junk.

The exponential increase of space debris objects, including discarded rocket stages, old satellites, and collision fragments, poses a significant threat. Currently, there are 34,260 tracked debris objects, a number expected to rise as satellite launches become more frequent. These collisions could result in a cascade of collisions known as the Kessler Syndrome, rendering space too dangerous for satellites. Active debris removal is seen as a critical technology in maintaining space usability.

Astroscale has additional plans to inspect and remove a discarded Japanese rocket stage using a spacecraft developed with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). ESA also intends to remove a spent rocket body in 2025 with a junk collector spacecraft built by Astroscale’s competitor, ClearSpace.

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