Debris
Stories about the problems posed by trash in orbit, and initiatives from both governments and industry to clean it up.
Astroscale, Wind River Team To Clean Up in Orbit
Astroscale’s space vacuum is getting a boost. The company is partnering with space software startup Wind River to provide the on-board computer for ELSA-M, a mission to remove multiple pieces of debris from orbit, according to a joint announcement Wednesday. “Our ELSA-M service strives to solve satellite operators’ end-of-life disposal challenges,” Stephen Wokes, director of…
Kall Morris Wins USAF Debris Removal Contract
This morning, Kall Morris Inc. (KMI) announced that it’s notched an agreement with the US Air Force to explore its proposed method to dock with uncontrolled pieces of debris in orbit for removal. TumblEye-ing: Under the contract, Kall Morris plans to test its TumblEye system for active debris removal (ADR) applications for USAF. Removing a…
NorthStar to Launch With Rocket Lab
NorthStar, an in-situ space situational awareness (SSA) startup, has partnered with Rocket Lab to launch its first four satellites this Fall. Rocket Lab is tapping in after NorthStar’s planned Virgin Orbit launch bit the dust. “It’s quite accommodating by Rocket Lab, so we’re really happy to have them as a partner. We’re engaging with them…
Summit for Space Sustainability: Day 1 Highlights
Space sustainability enthusiasts who gathered in New York this week for the fifth iteration of the Secure World Foundation’s Summit for Space Sustainability were faced with a dizzying stat: more than 2,700 spacecraft have been launched since the organization’s last meeting a year ago. The first day of the conference was all about the need…
G7 Deems Space Debris an ‘Urgent’ Problem
The growing amount of space debris in orbit is an “urgent issue” that must be addressed by international organizations, according to the G7 nations meeting in Japan this weekend. “We strongly encourage further research and development of orbital debris mitigation and remediation technologies,” officials wrote in the communiqué from the G7 Science and Technology Ministers’…
Astroscale Secures ~$44M in Two New Debt Rounds
Astroscale, a Japanese startup designing orbital debris removal and on-orbit servicing technology, announced two debt raises totaling about $44M this week to ensure it has cash on hand in today’s challenging economic conditions. On Tuesday, the company announced that it entered into a loan agreement for ¥3B (~$22M) with Mizuho Bank. Yesterday, Astroscale announced a…
Slingshot Doubles Sensing Capabilities
Slingshot Aerospace announced this morning that it will add 80 new sensors by the end of the year, doubling its tracking capabilities and getting closer to its goal of building the most comprehensive space tracking network on the planet. The story so far: CEO Melanie Stricklan founded Slingshot in 2017 to tackle the growing need…
LeoLabs Announces Argentina Radar Site
LeoLabs announced that it has selected a site in Argentina for its next ground radar for remotely identifying and tracking objects in space. The new site, called the Argentina Space Radar (AGSR), is expected to be completed later this year. Keeping an eye on orbit: The Menlo Park, CA-based startup is building out a global…
Astroscale Brings In $76M
Astroscale, a Japanese startup designing orbital debris removal and on-orbit servicing technology, announced Sunday that it has closed a $76M Series G round to accelerate its growth and development. The round, especially notable given the current state of private markets, brings Astroscale’s total funding to date to $376M. The company raised the Series G entirely…
FCC Approves Kuiper Debris Mitigation Plan
Another megaconstellation has cleared a key step toward LEO deployment. On Wednesday, the FCC approved Kuiper’s orbital debris mitigation plan, a significant regulatory hurdle that has been keeping Amazon’s broadband constellation out of the sky. The story so far: Amazon has taken a long, winding road with Kuiper. In 2020, the FCC approved the constellation,…
Seraphim Releases 2023 Space Ecosystem Map
Seraphim, a leading space VC, has published its 2023 market map, detailing the state of innovation in the in-space economy with an eye on the year ahead. “As the in-space economy takes off, major players in the industry are positioning themselves to capture a slice of the burgeoning market,” Seraphim VP Maureen Laverty said in…
LeoLabs Unveils Western Australia Space Radar
This afternoon in Western Australia, LeoLabs pulled the curtain off a new project that’s been in the making for the last nine months: the Western Australia Space Radar (WASR), built along with local partners to augment the company’s satellite and debris tracking capabilities. WASR is now fully commissioned and includes two S-band phased array radars…
Neuraspace, Ienai Space and EnduroSat Partner on STM Mission
Neuraspace, Ienai Space, and EnduroSat announced this morning that they have formed a partnership to demonstrate their end-to-end space traffic management (STM) capabilities. The companies say this will be the first European mission dedicated to performing collision avoidance maneuvers. “I’m really hoping that efforts like our own will help us avoid negative approaches to sustainability…
