Speaker
Description
ESA has noted that “a market for in-orbit activities – servicing, rendezvous, assembly, refurbish, manufacturing, and recycling – is both expected and desirable", echoing the sentiment across the sector. The concept of a circular space economy is no longer a blue-sky idea, but the eventual goal of our In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) efforts. Astroscale sees refurbishment and upgrading as a promising next step towards an on-orbit economy, with aspects of these services underpinning future in-orbit servicing goals, such as manufacturing and recycling.
As part of ESA’s Systems Studies for a Circular Economy in Space, Astroscale are partnering with In-Space Missions to develop an In-orbit Refurbishment and Upgrading Service (IRUS), and further strengthen the business case with DHV Technology. The servicer will be a variant of COSMIC, Astroscale’s UK Active Debris Removal (ADR) solution, and the initial client will be an upgradable In-Space Missions vehicle. The 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.
Today’s presentation will focus on highlighting the key goals of the study: assessing the technological and commercial feasibility of a refurbishment and/or upgrading service. The technical and business aspects 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, which is done through the standardisation of interfaces and an agnostic approach to key enabling technologies.
IRUS aims to develop a servicer and serviceable client, keeping business development at the core, and working within the wider context of standardised solutions and next steps towards a circular space economy.
