TAMPA, Fla. — Astroscale and ClearSpace have passed the halfway mark in de-risking key technologies for potentially de-orbiting two satellites in a single mission in 2026 for the UK Space Agency (UKSA).
Astroscale’s U.K. subsidiary announced Feb. 11 that it has successfully completed the Mid-Term Review of Phase 2 for UKSA’s Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission, focusing on early-stage testing and refinement of technologies needed for satellite capture and de-orbiting.
The company highlighted significant progress with partners in debris de-tumbling capabilities and its robotic capture system, ahead of further testing in a specialized vacuum chamber in Germany to replicate space conditions and link simulation with real-world data.de-orb
A spokesperson for Switzerland-based ClearSpace said it completed the Mid-Term Review of Phase 2 in December after achieving critical development and testing milestones for its robotic capture mechanism.
Both companies told SpaceNews they remain on track to complete Phase 2 by the end of March, qualifying their systems for the downselection stage.
UKSA is then expected to select one company to lead a consortium for Phase 3, which would cover manufacturing, assembly and testing of the spacecraft ahead of launch and operations in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Astroscale and ClearSpace have not disclosed which U.K.-licensed spacecraft they plan to de-orbit.
Meanwhile, Astroscale is approaching a critical design review for End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-Multiple (ELSA-m), a similar servicer set to attempt the removal of a OneWeb broadband satellite from LEO during the Japanese company’s fiscal year ending in April 2026.
Instead of a robotic arm, UKSA- and European Space Agency-backed ELSA-m would use a magnetic capture mechanism to attach to and de-orbit a OneWeb satellite equipped with a compatible docking plate.
Astroscale’s inaugural in-orbit demonstration mission in 2021 successfully used a magnetic capture mechanism to secure and release a test satellite launched alongside the servicer.
However, the End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) servicer later lost half of its thrusters, preventing it from recapturing the spacecraft for a controlled descent to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.
ClearSpace, which has yet to reach orbit, announced last year it would no longer de-orbit a Vega rocket payload adapter for ESA in 2026. Instead, the Swiss company said it will focus on removing ESA’s Project for On-Board Autonomy-1 (Proba-1) satellite from LEO, along with other mission changes outlined by the space agency.
