Astroscale

Astroscale is a publicly traded on-orbit servicing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, focused on space sustainability, including satellite life extension, in-situ space situational awareness, end-of-life spacecraft management and active debris removal. It was founded in 2013 by the entrepreneur Mitsunobu Okada after he attended a German conference on space development where orbital debris emerged as a major topic. The Japanese government has backed the company with an award worth about 80 million dollars through 2028, and in November 2024 its ADRAS-J mission approached a piece of space debris to within about 15 meters, the closest approach a commercial company had then achieved. Astroscale maintains offices in Tokyo, London and Denver among other locations, and in March 2025 Airbus ordered more than 100 of its docking plate units for future servicing missions.