The Japanese space-sustainability company Astroscale has unveiled a patent for what it describes as a new method for space debris removal.
Introducing REFLEX-J: Refueling for Extension and Flexibility - Japan. 🛰️⛽Astroscale Japan's spacecraft now has a name, and it perfectly captures its mission: enhancing the flexibility of satellites in orbit by extending their lifespan and unlocking new operational possibilities.Set to launch around 2029, REFLEX-J will integrate robotics, computer vision, and fuel transfer capabilities to perform a chemical refueling demonstration in low Earth orbit. The team will also conduct ground testing across multiple propellants to ensure scalability for missions to geostationary orbit and compatibility with electric propulsion systems.With REFLEX-J, we're not just topping up fuel tanks, we're establishing a new standard for space infrastructure.
Building on Astroscale’s proven Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD) technologies, REFLEX-J will integrate robotics, computer vision, and fuel transfer capabilities to perform a chemical refueling demonstration in low Earth orbit. The team will also conduct ground testing across multiple propellants to ensure scalability for missions to geostationary orbit and compatibility with electric propulsion systems.The project is expected to span five years with a maximum budget of JPY 10.8 billion, culminating in an in-orbit demonstration around 2029.
ELSA-M will be the world’s first commercial end-of-life service for prepared satellites, meaning satellites designed with technologies such as a docking interface that will enable removal. The ELSA-M IOD mission is a collaborative effort funded primarily through Astroscale’s private investment, with co-funding support from the UK Space Agency via ESA under the Sunrise Partnership Project with Eutelsat Oneweb.The spacecraft has been designed and built at Astroscale’s UK facility, Zeus, on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. Once fully integrated in the in-house clean room facilities, ELSA-M goes through several rounds of testing in the UK, covering environmental, hardware and software test campaigns.[...]First off, the spacecraft is sent to the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s RAL Space on the Harwell Campus, to the National Satellite Test Facility. There, mass properties and acoustic testing form the opening phase of the environmental test campaign, determining the centre of mass and confirming the spacecraft can comfortably withstand the noise levels of launch.[...]Next ELSA-M will be sent to Airbus in Stevenage for Vibration and Thermal Vacuum Testing, putting the spacecraft through launch and space environment simulations.After testing at Airbus, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing begins back at Harwell, the plan is to split the test between Astroscale (Zeus) and RAL facilities. This test will ensure the different electrical units on the spacecraft will not interfere with one another.Back at Zeus, the final Full Functional Test (FFT) will take place, ensuring ELSA-M is fully functional and ready for flight. Finally, the last System Validation Test (SVT) will be carried out. This test checks all subsystems are communicating as expected, end-to-end tests for sending commands from the ground to the satellite and ensuring the whole space and ground segment are working in synchrony.[...]In the meantime, over at the Satellite Applications Catapult’s ISAM Facility at Westcott, testing on the Rendezvous and Proximity Operation (RPO) on the Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) testbed will conclude the whole test campaign for ELSA-M.
Astroscale Limited has been awarded a EUR 399,000 (approximately £350,000) Phase A contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to lead the design of the In-Orbit Refurbishment and Upgrading Service (IRUS), a pioneering mission concept that will enable satellites to be upgraded, repaired, and extended while in orbit. This initiative supports ESA’s Space Safety Programme, reinforcing Europe’s commitment to reducing orbital risks and ensuring safe operations for future generations.With the involvement of the spacecraft manufacturer and operator, BAE Systems, in the role of a future in-orbit servicing client, IRUS represents a major step towards a circular space economy, where satellites are maintained, repaired and enhanced in orbit rather than treated as single-use. Developing this new capability will pave the way for more complex In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities – as refurbishment and upgrading are essential precursors to assembling and manufacturing platforms in space.A foundation for future missionsThe eight-month Phase A study contract will develop the technical groundwork and commercial case for in-orbit refurbishment and upgrading services. The team will explore how robotic and servicing technologies can safely connect with and refurbish satellites already in orbit, assessing the technical feasibility and commercial viability of upgrading a satellite or extending its life through replacing degraded or out-of-date subsystems such as batteries, solar panels and on-board computers. By enabling refurbishment and upgrades in orbit, IRUS reduces the need for replacement launches and mitigates the risk of creating additional debris, a key priority for space safety.
@astroscale_JP has been awarded a contract by the Ministry of Defense to develop a general gripping mechanism system designed to securely grab national satellites under a wide range of on-orbit conditions.
ProjectLaunch FYAPS-R2027LEXI-P2027ELSA-M2028COSMIC2029ISSA-J12027/2028ADRAS-J2 2028REFLEX-J2030
First look at @astroscale_JP's next inspection mission — ISSA-J1.ISSA-J1 will show how one spacecraft can inspect two satellites in different orbits during a single mission, advancing more efficient and scalable on-orbit servicing.
SAT-LOA-20241223-00298QuoteFollowing anticipated launch of APS-R in mid-2026, Astroscale U.S. will operate APS-R to conduct two refueling demonstrations with the U.S. Space Force (“USSF”).
Following anticipated launch of APS-R in mid-2026, Astroscale U.S. will operate APS-R to conduct two refueling demonstrations with the U.S. Space Force (“USSF”).
Notice Regarding the Launch Agreement with Isar Aerospace by Our UK SubsidiaryAstroscale Holdings Inc. (“we”) hereby announcesthat our UK subsidiary, Astroscale Ltd (“ASUK”), has entered into a launchcontract with Isar Aerospace SE (“Isar Aerospace”), a European space company, for the “ELSA-M” In-Orbit Demonstration(IOD) mission— to demonstrate the commercial viability to remove multiple satellites that have reached the end of theiroperational life.1. Overview of the AgreementCounterparty: Isar Aerospace SEScheduled Launch Period: Fiscal year ending April 2028The contract was agreed and signed on March 12, 2026 (UK time).
LEXI-P, in development by the Astroscale U.S. team to be launch-ready in 2027, recently completed closed loop six degrees of freedom (6DoF) testing with its integrated RPO payload.Our engineers conducted this testing at GMV’s robotics laboratory in Spain to validate LEXI-P’s RPO software and capabilities that enable it to sense, control, and maneuver in all directions in three-dimensional space.The testing confirmed that LEXI-P can: • Accurately approach a client • Align and position with the client • Execute docking maneuvers safely and preciselyClosed-loop testing showed that LEXI-P can respond dynamically, as it would while operating in orbit. Using real-time imagery processed by flight software, the servicer executed motion adjustments based on what it was seeing rather than by following pre-scripted movements.These simulations replicated the final 12–15 meters of approach and docking, the most critical phase of an on-orbit servicing mission.GMV’s advanced robotics facility enables highly realistic mission simulations, making it possible to validate spacecraft behavior in conditions that most closely resemble space. Our Engineering Fellow Teresa Williams explained, “We can test pieces of a system, but how can you be sure that when you put all the pieces together and then put them in their intended environment that they'll still do what you want them to do? Well, that answer is test it like you fly it. That’s the best you can do.”
