Latest news with #ISAM
Broadcast Pro
10-06-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Astroscale completes CDR for ELSA-M In-Orbit debris removal mission
This demonstration includes docking, de-orbiting, and releasing a Eutelsat OneWeb client spacecraft managed through Astroscales in-house satellite operations facility. Astroscale has completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for its upcoming ELSA-M (End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-Multiple) In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) spacecraft, marking a major milestone in the development of what is set to become the worlds first commercial end-of-life servicing mission for satellites prepared for docking and removal. The mission, scheduled to launch in 2026, will demonstrate cutting-edge technologies aimed at addressing the growing challenge of orbital debris. Designed, built, and operated by Astroscale UK at its Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, ELSA-M will showcase advanced Rendezvous Proximity Operations (RPO) capabilities. The CDR milestone was achieved following a comprehensive technical evaluation by teams from the European Space Agency (ESA) and satellite operator Eutelsat, encompassing all aspects of engineering, programme management, and product assurance. This achievement confirms the UKs leadership in Active Debris Removal (ADR) and advances its role in the fast-growing field of In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM). The ELSA-M mission is a collaborative effort funded primarily through Astroscales private investment, with co-funding support from the UK Space Agency via ESA and Eutelsat under the Sunrise Partnership Project. The initiative falls within ESAs Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme, designed to develop next-generation satellite communications technologies. Nick Shave, Managing Director, Astroscale UK, said: 'Completing the Critical Design Review for ELSA-M is both a major step for the mission itself and also a major achievement for the UK ISAM industry. The mission is a true partnership between Astroscale UK, the UK Space Agency, ESA and Eutelsat with many industrial partners in the Astroscale ISAM supply chain across all regions of the UK. With the ever-growing number of satellites in Earths orbit, the robust RPO and spacecraft capture capability provided by ELSA-M will revolutionise the delivery of repeatable ADR and other ISAM services as part of a future circular space economy.' Joshua King, Telecommunications Investment Lead at the UK Space Agency, added: 'We are excited to support Astroscale UKs pioneering ELSA-M mission, which represents a significant leap forward in satellite servicing and orbital sustainability. This milestone not only underscores the UKs leadership in ADR but also highlights our commitment to providing new technologies and capabilities to support satellite communications. The successful completion of the Critical Design Review is a testament to the exceptional collaboration between Astroscale, ESA, and Eutelsat within the Sunrise Partnership, and we look forward to the successful launch next year.' Laurent Jaffart, Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications at ESA, stated: 'Space is a common good, like the oceans, and we need to treat it responsibly. ESA welcomed Astroscales active engagement and signature of ESAs Zero Debris Charter in June 2024, which contains high-level guiding principles and specific jointly defined targets to achieve zero debris by 2030. We are pleased to be supporting Astroscale to demonstrate the commercial viability of space debris removal, building on state-of-the-art technologies to create new missions that attract talent and investment. ESA fosters European and Canadian innovation in the highly competitive global satellite market.' Guillaume Scottez, Senior Director for Innovation at Eutelsat Group, commented: 'Astroscales successful CDR marks a positive progression for our joint efforts to support, test, and validate innovative in-orbit servicing technologies, crucial for the long-term preservation of space as a valuable natural resource. With this milestone, we look forward to our continued collaboration with ESA, the UK Space Agency, and Astroscale to advance our mission.' ELSA-M builds on the success of Astroscales 2021 ELSA-d mission, which demonstrated critical technologies such as magnetic capture and controlled close-approach operations. With the CDR now complete, ELSA-M moves into the next phase involving spacecraft assembly, integration, testing, launch preparations, and a series of in-orbit demonstrations. These will include docking with, de-orbiting, and releasing a Eutelsat OneWeb client satellite, all managed through Astroscales own satellite operations center.
Belfast Telegraph
03-06-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Space industry company announces expansion in Newry
Resonate Testing said it had scaled up its operations and applied for planning permission for a new facility on its site. It has also installed a testing system known as a thermal vacuum chamber (TVAC) used to simulate the harsh conditions of space. It has also added a 'shaker table' for electrical vehicle and space sector clients requiring large battery testing capabilities. Tom Mallon, managing director of Resonate Testing, said: 'The addition of TVAC significantly enhances our profile within the UK and Irish space sectors,' he said. "However, it's clear that further infrastructure is needed to support the long-term growth of this industry. "Our hope is that plans recently submitted for a new, purpose-built facility on our existing site, designed specifically to meet the future testing demands of the space sector, will ultimately serve as a centre of excellence not just for Resonate Testing, but for all of our colleagues operating in this industry.' The facility would serve clients across the UK, Ireland and wider EU. And Mr Mallon said the company had received support from the industry, and economic development agency Invest NI. He added: 'The positive response from the space sector has been overwhelming, and we're especially thankful for the continued support from our returning customers. "Their trust has enabled us to invest in new equipment, facilities, and skilled personnel. "We also must pay homage to Invest NI which has been steadfast in its support for us and our peers over the last number of years.' Resonate Testing is taking part in the ISAM conference on Wednesday and Thursday June 4 to 5 at the ICC in Belfast.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
IIT-Bombay incubated spacetech startup InspeCity secures $5.6 million in seed funding
Live Events IIT Bombay-incubated spacetech startup InspeCity, which is building technology for satellite life-extension , announced it has secured a $5.6 million (about Rs XX) seed funding round, led by Ashish Kacholia and participation from Speciale Invest, Shastra VC, Antler India, DeVC, MGF-Kavachh and Anicut aims to focus on building solutions for in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) and in-space Mumbai-based startup said it will use the capital to continue its research and development and scale up to commercialisation. It wants to develop a fully vertically integrated platform for life-extension, with propulsion, robotics, and rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD) technologies developed under the same roof. Arindrajit Chowdhury , CEO of InspeCity and professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Bombay , told ET that it will conduct a demo mission in 2027 during which it will fly a satellite to space and test its propulsion systems 'We're targeting a global market known as ISAM. It's projected to be about $14 billion by 2030, growing strongly. We want to corner that with VEDA (Vehicle for Life Extension and De-orbiting Activities) as a global offering, and also by selling propulsion systems,' he said at the satellite level, there's been only one successful life-extension or refuelling mission so far—done by Northrop Grumman around 2020. 'Despite big investments, like NASA's multi-billion-dollar refuelling and capture mission, the technology hasn't matured to TRL-9 universally. It's still early days. There's a massive opportunity for a new player to capture this market,' he believes InspeCity's development and build costs are likely to be lower than those of global startup said while the US and Europe are important markets for spacetech, Southeast Asia and West Asia are coming up as major hubs. Last year, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Japanese startup Orbital Lasers to explore laser-based solutions for removing space debris.
