Duration: 6 months
The proposed mission will develop capabilities to refurbish and upgrade satellites, moving away from the current single-use culture in space. Rather than de-orbiting non-functional satellites and replacing them with new ones, these services lead to a more sustainable future by maximising the use of in-orbit assets. The technological and commercial feasibility of the project will be developed in parallel, with end customers involved in the process from the start, ensuring a commercially viable and competitive service offering and providing solutions that can be widely adopted. Emphasis is placed on maximising the future market potential and supporting benefits to the wider circular economy through the standardisation of interfaces and an agnostic approach to key enabling technologies.
Astroscale will work with In-Space Missions (ISM) to develop an In-orbit Refurbishment and Upgrading Service (IRUS). The servicer will be a variant of COSMIC, Astroscale’s UK Active Debris Removal solution, and the initial client will be an upgradable ISM vehicle. Following the initial systems study, Astroscale will pursue the execution of the Preliminary Service Offering and future commercial services, leveraging established partnerships with companies spread across many ESA member states.
The goal of IRUS is to develop a servicer and serviceable client, keeping business development at the core, and working within the wider context of standardised solutions and the next steps towards a circular space economy.
