Debris
Stories about the problems posed by trash in orbit, and initiatives from both governments and industry to clean it up.
UKSA Taps ClearSpace for Country’s First Debris Removal Mission
The UK Space Agency is dressing up as a waste-management company for Halloween.
Astroscale Selects Isar to Launch Debris Removal Mission
Astroscale Japan selected Germany’s Isar Aerospace to launch its ADRAS-J2 mission to capture and remove a piece of large orbital debris.
Slingshot’s Portal Adds New AI-Powered Missions
Slingshot Aerospace announced it is adding new capabilities to its Portal platform to help operators better monitor that crowded environment.
HEO Taps Planet Labs to Expand its NEI Network
The deal expands HEO’s NEI network to 50+ in-space sensors, allowing customers to capture more frequent, high-resolution images of objects on orbit—from a wider range of angles.
DIU, SDA Select Winners for Deorbit-as-a-Service Designs
Last week, the SDA and DIU selected three companies to develop designs for scalable satellite capabilities including rendezvous, capture, and deorbit.
Optera Raises £3M to Open New UK HQ
The funding round comes amid the UK government’s full-court press to expand its sovereign technical capabilities.
Slingshot Introduces AI-Powered Portal Platform
Slingshot Aerospace introduced a new platform today that will allow operators to spot anomalies—and make decisions—in an AI-powered, one-stop-shop.
Portal, Paladin Team On Debris Removal Service
“This is about making debris removal operational, not experimental,” Portal CEO Jeff Thornburg said in a statement. “Satellite data underpins communications, navigation, weather forecasting, and national security. Maintaining that infrastructure requires active debris management.”
WEF’s Space Debris Report Projects Significant Costs
This week, the World Economic Forum came out with a report, produced in partnership with the Centre for Space Futures, the Saudi Space Agency, LeoLabs, and Novaspace, titled “Clear Orbit, Secure Future: A Call to Action on Space Debris.”
Starfish Wins SDA Deorbit-As-A-Service Contract
Starfish says this marks the first contracted mission for end-of-life satellite disposal services, in comparison to typical missions that treat disposal as a one-off or a demo.
Atomic-6 Space Armor to Fly in October With Portal
It’s rare for space operators to cross their fingers, hoping their sat will get hit with a piece of space debris. But that’s exactly what Atomic-6 CEO Trevor Smith is doing.
LeoLabs Lands Cross-Government Licensing Contract
OSC will evaluate how to integrate Leolabs data into its TraCSS to extend LeoLabs’ orbital alert capabilities to the commercial sector.
