Astroscale moving to GEO satellite servicing market

Astroscale is currently getting the rights to Effective Space Solutions’ satellite servicing automobile called Space Drone.
WASHINGTON — Astroscale announced it is currently acquiring the property of this satellite-servicing company Effective Space Solutions. The transfer positions Astroscale’s U.S. subsidiary to be a direct competitor to Northrop Grumman from the geostationary satellite servicing market.
Astroscale is a personal debris removal company headquartered in Tokyo. The agreement with Effective Space Solutions was signed by Astroscale U.S. Inc., located in Denver.
Effective Space Solutions developed a satellite servicing automobile called Space Drone that’s not yet in operation. Astroscale is hiring executives and engineers in the program and is currently getting the property connected with Space Drone.
Arie Halsband, founder and CEO of Effective Space Solutions, will serve as managing director of Astroscale Israel in Tel Aviv.
The Space Drone will evolve in an Astroscale servicing stage, Ron Lopez, president and managing director of Astroscale U.S., informed SpaceNews.
“It is going to be a new program and will be called something else,” he explained. “We will integrate the payload from the USA and deliver that support in the U.S.”
Effective Space Solutions has been in talks with undisclosed customers for Space Drone services.
The closing of this transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.
Lopez stated Astroscale is on a course to be a supplier of on-orbit providers from Earth that was low to geostationary orbits.
Astroscale later this year intends to launch a self-funded assignment to low Earth orbit — called End-of-Life Service by Astroscale Demonstration (ELSA-D) — to examine debris removal technology. The organization in February was selected for a project to come up with an inspector satellite to spot upper stage rocket bodies.
Market analysts project which life extension and other on-orbit satellite providers will generate more than $4 billion in revenues. Together with GEO satellites costing upwards of $200 million, the thinking is that servicing, repairing or upgrading them will develop into a viable option rather than replacement.
Of entering the GEO satellite servicing market ahead, Astroscale Holdings on May 18 announced a Series E funding around. I-NET CORP., a Japanese data center provider, became the first investor in this new round. Astroscale raised a total of $140 million.
Astroscale’s GEO servicing platform would compete with Northrop Grumman’s Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV).
Lopez stated the MEV is”blazing new paths” and that that there is room in the market for further players. “We see powerful commercial and U.S. authorities requirement,” he explained.
The U.S. Defense Department could be a prospective buyer of solutions, he explained. “We’ve heard that they are thinking about exploring the concept of prolonging the service life of its GEO satellites. When you’re confronted with tough budgetary choices, I believe it simply makes sense to amuse these kinds of tradeoffs.”