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Astroscale Receives Prime Minister’s Award During Japan Startup Awards
Tokyo, Japan, Jun. 2, 2022 – Astroscale Holdings Inc. (“Astroscale”), the market leader in satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability across all orbits, received the Prime Minister’s Award during the Japan Startup Awards at the Prime Minister’s Office today. The Government of Japan honors promising, bold venture companies that have created ground-breaking businesses, and Astroscale was recognized with the highest award for its commitment to the safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations.
“I am very humbled to receive the Prime Minister’s Award, and I share this prestigious honor with the entire Astroscale global team,” said Founder & CEO, Nobu Okada. “This award signals the importance of space sustainability and the appreciation and high expectations of our efforts. We will continue to devote ourselves to make on-orbit servicing a viable market that will serve as the foundation on which the future space economy can sustainably thrive.”
The Japan Startup Awards program recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs and venture companies that create new businesses that positively impact society and serve as role models for the next generation. The awards program was launched in 2015 with the aim of raising both public awareness of the importance of making bold attempts to create ground-breaking businesses, and to provide public recognition for entrepreneurs, encouraging people throughout the country to take on new challenges.
Several key government agencies, including the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, called for venture companies in a wide range of industries to participate in the program. A review committee of business organizations and experts then assessed applications and selected the winner for each award.
Astroscale’s pioneering End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) mission was launched in March 2021 and has since successfully completed complex operations. The first demonstration, in which the servicer released and then magnetically docked with a client, was completed on August 25, 2021, successfully validating the capture system, on-board sensors and cameras. On May 4, 2022, the ELSA-d mission successfully completed further controlled close-approach rendezvous operations between its two spacecraft in orbit, proving capabilities which are essential for rendezvous and proximity operations and on-orbit servicing.
Astroscale has received numerous awards and accolades for its technological innovation, leadership in the growing on-orbit servicing sector, and overall vision, including the 2022 TIME100 Most Influential Companies, 2021 Satellite Technology of the Year, SpaceNews Company Leader of the Year, UNESCO Netexplo Innovation Forum 2020 Grand Prix, Forbes JAPAN “Start-up of The Year 2019,” and World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer in 2017.
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