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Astroscale Selected as Contract Partner for Front-Loading Technology Study in Phase II of JAXA’s Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration Project
Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 22, 2022 – Astroscale Japan Inc. (“Astroscale Japan”), a subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc. (“Astroscale”), the market leader in satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability across all orbits, has been selected as one of the contracting parties for the Front-Loading Technology Study in Phase II of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Commercial Debris Removal Demonstration (CRD2), one of the world’s first technology demonstrations of removing large-scale debris from orbit.
This study will focus on the ground test of development hardware and software that are key for two critical areas of the Phase II mission: close proximity operations and the capture mechanism design. Ground tests will be conducted to verify the design concepts and performance of this hardware and software by using JAXA’s advanced Simulation Apparatus for Target Capture Dynamics. In addition, the study will require satellite design detail trades and analysis, and mission operation concepts. The results of this conceptual study will be used as a reference for the technical feasibility of Phase II. Participating in this study is a necessary step to be considered by JAXA as the satellite and mission provider for the CRD2 Phase II mission.
Astroscale Japan was previously contracted as a partner for the Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J) satellite by JAXA for Phase I of CRD2. ADRAS-J is scheduled for lift-off on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand in JFY 2022. Once deployed to a precise orbit by Electron’s Kick Stage, the ADRAS-J satellite is designed to rendezvous with a Japanese upper stage rocket body, demonstrate proximity operations, and obtain images, delivering observational data to better understand the debris environment.
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