Astroscale Selects Isar Aerospace to Launch ELSA-M In-Orbit Demonstration Mission

16 March 2026 – Astroscale Ltd, the UK subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc., has selected Isar Aerospace to provide launch services for the ELSA-M In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission. The mission represents a major milestone in Astroscale’s commercial end-of-life removal services and marks a critical step toward routine, scalable in-orbit servicing that supports a sustainable space environment.

Under the new agreement, Isar Aerospace will launch the 520 kg ELSA-M servicer spacecraft, which will capture and remove an end-of-life Eutelsat OneWeb satellite. The mission will build on Astroscale’s proven rendezvous and proximity operations expertise from the ELSA-d and ADRAS-J missions, and marks the first time Isar Aerospace will deploy a spacecraft dedicated to end-of-life servicing.

“ELSA-M is a major step forward for commercial end-of-life services, building on Astroscale’s flight-proven rendezvous and proximity operations capability,” said Nick Shave, Managing Director of Astroscale UK. “Through missions such as ELSA-d and ADRAS-J, we have demonstrated safe, controlled approaches and robust relative navigation. With Isar Aerospace providing both launch flexibility and the orbital precision our rendezvous mission requires, we are ready to deliver an active debris removal service that will enable a more sustainable space environment and circular economy in space.”

The ELSA-M mission is supported by the UK Space Agency through the through the European Space Agency’s programme of Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) as part of the Sunrise Partnership Project, a public-private partnership with Eutelsat. The majority of the mission is self-funded by Astroscale.

By partnering with Isar Aerospace, Astroscale continues to strengthen European in-orbit servicing capability and contribute to a more sustainable use of space. The ELSA-M mission forms a key part of Astroscale’s roadmap toward operational services that help satellite operators remove unneeded spacecraft responsibly and reduce the growth of orbital debris.

“We are thrilled to partner with Astroscale,” said Stella Guillen, Chief Commercial Officer at Isar Aerospace. “The ELSA-M in-orbit demonstration mission will not only display the future of active debris removal, but already today shows why customers choose to launch with Isar Aerospace. We provide the flexibility to determine when payloads are launched and access to the specific target orbit customers require. This is our first involvement in an active debris removal mission, and we are proud to contribute to space sustainability by supporting Astroscale’s pioneering activities,”

Astroscale is preparing for the launch and subsequent demonstration of ELSA-M as the company scales its in-orbit services, helping to unlock a circular space economy and a future with no waste in orbit.