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Astroscale opens Oxfordshire facility to build space debris removal craft

29 September 2022
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Satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability specialist Astroscale has opened its new Zeus satellite manufacturing and operations facilities on Oxfordshire’s Harwell Science and Innovation Campus.

The new facility will enable the firm to manufacture satellite debris removal servicer satellites, while rapidly developing its commercial offering in future, contributing to the growing UK space industry. The sector has quadrupled in size since 2000.

In comparison to Astroscale’s previous location, Zeus features a 900 per cent space increase, reaching 20,000 square feet which will house a high specification satellite manufacturing facility, a satellite operations centre and office space for 120 staff.

Its Harwell Campus location puts it in close quarters with partners including the UK Space Agency, European Space Agency, Satellite Applications Catapult, the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and a number of others.

Nobu Okada, Founder and CEO of Astroscale , said: “I am delighted to open our new state-of-the-art UK premises at the Harwell Science Campus today.

“This facility will support our ambitious growth plans for the UK business, allowing us to work with our partners to drive forward the development of the in-orbit servicing commercial market in the UK. If we act now, we will ensure a sustainable space economy for future generations.”

Nick Shave, Astroscale Ltd. MD, Dr Kathy Bass, Deputy Director – Space Strategy and UKSA Sponsorship, BEIS, AVM Paul Godfrey, Commander, Space Command, Dr Paul Bate, CEO, UK Space Agency and Nobu Okada, Founder and CEO Astroscale. Credit: Astroscale

The UK continues to be a leader in both the policy and technology development for space debris removal and sustainability.

Recent announcements include the UK National Space Strategy in 2021, the UK Space Agency’s Corporate Plan 2022-25, and more recently the Plan for Space Sustainability (23 June 2022), which highlight the UK Government’s commitment to build on the UK’s early mover advantage in space robotics and In-Orbit Servicing & Manufacturing (IOSM) to establish global leadership in space sustainability. 

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “With nearly 5,000 operational satellites and over 30,000 pieces of trackable debris, the ability to operate safely in space is growing increasingly challenging.

“The UK is leading efforts to make space more sustainable and we’re backing companies, such as Astroscale, to design innovative new missions to clear hazardous space junk. It’s fantastic to see this state-of-the-art facility open, bringing new capabilities to the UK and creating more than 100 jobs at the Harwell Space Cluster.”

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Astroscale celebrated the completion of its End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) mission earlier this year. ELSA-d was the world’s first commercial debris removal demonstration mission and proved the magnetic capture technology required for end-to-end Low Earth Orbit satellite servicing.

Leading on from this success, ESA and the UK Space Agency approved the OneWeb Sunrise Partnership Programme for the continued development of the next Astroscale servicer model, ELSA-M, which will be able to service multiple satellites in one mission.

Astroscale’s new Zeus Clean Room Facility to build satellite servicers to de-orbit space debris. Credit: Astroscale

Set to launch in 2024, ELSA-M will be manufactured and operated from the Zeus building in Harwell, creating a platform to rapidly develop commercial debris removal services for satellite constellation customers committed to developing a responsible and sustainable space economy.

Nick Shave, Managing Director of Astroscale Limited, said: “We want debris removal and in-orbit servicing to be part of routine operations by 2030. We can only deliver this through working in close partnership with government and industry stakeholders who share our ambition to push the boundaries of innovation and space technology.

“Together we can create an in-orbit economy and new high-value jobs that will ensure space remains safe and sustainable for future generations.

“This is transformational moment for us as a fast-growing space business to open our own facilities that will design and manufacture Astroscale debris removal and satellite servicing satellites in the UK.

“We also plan to harness our long-standing partnership with the Satellite Applications Catapult on space mission operations for future in-orbit servicing missions including our ELSA-M multi-client removal servicer, and to evaluate utilisation of the STFC National Space Test Facility at Harwell.

“This is also a milestone moment for Astroscale as we create a new home for our 120 staff, many of whom will soon start working on the recently announced UK Space Agency Active Debris Removal Mission to remove two defunct satellites from Low Earth Orbit.”

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Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset.

A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise.

Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.

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