We design, agile satellites able to find, capture and remove non-functioning or unresponsive satellites from their orbits in space.
Created: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2025-01-05
Company - ClearSpace
Product/Service - ClearSpace-1
- Classification
- In-Space Transportation
- Category
- Active Debris Removal (ADR)
Space Tug
Robotic Arm
- Fields
- End of Life (EOL)
- Status
- Development
- First launch
- 2026
ClearSpace-1
- The European Space Agency signed a debris-removal contract with Swiss startup ClearSpace tasking the company with deorbiting a substantial piece of a Vega rocket left in orbit in 2013.
- The mission, dubbed ClearSpace-1, is slated to launch in 2025 to capture and deorbit a 100-kilogram Vespa payload adapter an Arianespace Vega left in orbit after deploying ESA’s Proba-V remote-sensing satellite. ClearSpace will lead a consortium of European companies in building a spacecraft equipped with four robotic arms to capture debris and drag it into Earth’s atmosphere.
- Selected the Airbus "Flexible LEO Platform" (FLP2) as base for the Core Avionics and for the Flight Software of the Chaser Spacecraft.
- For the benefit of ClearSpace, Arianespace will launch ClearSpace-1, a servicer spacecraft, with the European light launcher Vega C. The launch is scheduled from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, starting second half of 2026.
ClearSpace welcomes OMEGA as the first partner to Clean Up Space.
CLEAR (UK)
Satellites could become more sustainable, thanks to new UK Space Agency funding, 2024-02-09
- Contracts have been awarded to Astroscale, ClearSpace and Orbit Fab for refuelling research:
- ClearSpace’s ‘REFUEL.ME’ mission extension will draw on their existing ‘CLEAR’ debris removal mission, partnering with Orbit Fab, Satellite Applications Catapult and Know.space.
- The REFUEL.ME study, which will run until September 2024, will involve the establishment of the key mission requirements and the definition of the mission concept of operations, leading to an initial design of the servicer satellite and a review of the sizeable market potential.
- Ultimately, the selected servicer will first refuel the UK National Debris Removal Mission, for which ClearSpace is also developing, before continuing to refuel other commercial satellites.
- Has achieved Preliminary Design Review (PDR) maturity.
- One of the highlights of the current development phase is the creation of a robust breadboard of all core technologies, including a highly agile robotic arm. The robotic arm, designed and refined in less than one year through multiple hardware iterations, exemplifies ClearSpace’s commitment to rapid innovation and cutting-edge engineering.
REFUEL.ME
- ClearSpace has secured a contract with the UK Space Agency (UKSA) to investigate the feasibility of an in-orbit satellite refueling mission.
- The REFUEL.ME study, which will run until September 2024, will involve the establishment of the key mission requirements and the definition of the mission concept of operations, leading to an initial design of the servicer satellite and a review of the sizeable market potential.
- Ultimately, the selected servicer will first refuel the UK National Debris Removal Mission, for which ClearSpace is also developing, before continuing to refuel other commercial satellites.
CRAB
CRAB ClearSpace Robotic Arm, Youtube, 2024-08-15.
Regulatory Sandbox
Sources
Most sources should be linked in the texts and headings as revealed by mouse-over, but here are they listed for visibility.
News, Research, Projects and Patents
| Title | Type | Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss startup ClearSpace gets support from Microsoft to clean up space | News | 2020-06-22 | > The Swiss start-up company ClearSpace has been awarded to become a member of the exclusive Microsoft Global Social Entrepreneurship Program. |
| Swiss startup ClearSpace wins ESA contract to deorbit Vega rocket debris | News | 2019-12-09 | > The European Space Agency signed a debris-removal contract with Swiss startup ClearSpace tasking the company with deorbiting a substantial piece of a Vega rocket left in orbit in 2013. The mission, dubbed ClearSpace-1, is slated to launch in 2025 to capture and deorbit a 100-kilogram Vespa payload adapter an Arianespace Vega left in orbit after deploying ESA’s Proba-V remote-sensing satellite. |
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