The company – a specialist in space debris removal – has shared a study of its own economic impact, marking the anniversary of opening its UK facility at the Harwell Science & Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. The site includes satellite integration cleanrooms, mission operations facilities, and offices for 180 staff.
Specifically, the report focuses on Astroscale’s “End-of-Life” service, ELSA-M, designed to support Low Earth Orbit constellation operators acting responsibly in space. Among its findings is a £23 per £1 return on public investment.
“By leveraging our ELSA-M programme, we aim to foster innovation, create highly-skilled jobs, and ensure a prosperous future for the UK space ecosystem across the full breadth of the country,” said Nick Shave, Managing Director of Astroscale UK. “The report’s insights highlight a remarkable £23 per £1 return on public investment, reflecting our dedication to maximising value for the UK economy while bolstering UK manufacturing capabilities.”
According to the report, the ELSA-M programme is projected to contribute £2bn in revenue for the UK space industry over the next 10 years. As mentioned, it also found that £23 was generated per £1 of public investment, via the UK government. The programme was also expected to help support 12,000 high-skilled jobs across the UK.
The report also claimed to be locating 56% of expenditure outside the South-East and London, “boosting investment opportunities across the whole of the UK” said the company.
For its part, the UK Space Agency (UKSA) endorsed the report:
“Astroscale’s Economic Impact Report showcases the vast potential of the UK space industry”, said Ray Fielding, Head of Sustainability at the UKSA. “Their innovative approach to in-orbit servicing, and commitment to regional development, support the government’s ambitions for the UK space sector. We look forward to seeing the positive impact Astroscale will continue to make in the UK and internationally.”
CLEAR
A year ago, the UKSA backed Astroscale and Clearspace to design missions to help clear hazardous space junk.
The contracts – worth £4 million – were awarded following the completion of a feasibility study of the CLEAR mission to remove two UK-registered derelict objects from low Earth orbit.
There was also the demo, ELSA-d mission (pictured above). What does it stand for? End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration. This was an Astroscale test mission to capture a client spacecraft in space.
Having previously demonstrated a controlled “Test Capture”, the mission moved on to an “Autonomous Capture” demonstration.
Astroscale was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Japan.
See also: Astroscale, OneWeb get funding for ELSA-M debris removal service
