Astroscale and BAE Systems are banding together to test in-orbit servicing technology in space by 2030.
The in-orbit servicing company and British defense conglomerate are partnering under an ESA-funded study that is seeking to help the space sector transition from the current disposable approach to one based on maintaining and upgrading aging assets. The goal is to protect space from becoming unusable because of orbital trash.
“Via a future satellite upgrading service, customers can either extend the life of their satellites by replacing older parts, or furnish them with enhanced capabilities,” Nick Shave, managing director at Astroscale UK, said in a statement. “We need to ensure they remain operational longer to create a sustainable space economy.”
What’s next: In the mission, an Astroscale servicer will upgrade a client satellite made by BAE Systems to prolong its life. The client satellite will be designed in a modular way to enable easy swapping of parts by a robotic arm on the servicer spacecraft.
The demo is only a first step. Astroscale plans to establish a commercial in-orbit refurbishment and maintenance service by 2040. The company has previously conducted two demonstration missions to test close proximity operations and capture of free-floating objects in space.
The big picture: Analysts expect that up to 100,000 satellites may be circling Earth by the end of this decade, a tenfold increase from today’s population. Such unprecedented levels of space traffic worry experts partly because of the increasing risk of collisions, but also due to the potential environmental effects. Large quantities of satellites—mostly made of aluminum—burning up in Earth’s atmosphere could affect the ozone layer and shift the planet’s thermal balance.
Clean up: Sustainability standards require operators to remove their satellites from orbit within five years of their mission’s end, which means thousands of tons of aluminum could be vaporizing at high altitudes every year as mega-constellations, such as SpaceX’s Starlink, renew their fleets. A shift towards a maintenance mindset could help reduce the risks.
“We’re committed to ensuring space is sustainable both now and in the future,” Doug Liddle, director for space at BAE Systems’ Digital Intelligence business, said in the statement. “This involves finding new ways to maximize the utility of existing satellites by improving functionality and flexibility, and thereby reducing space debris and the number of launches required.”
