Call for UK firms to bid to lead a £75m-worth pioneering space mission

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has launched a major new procurement process to find a supplier for a first-of-its-kind mission to crackdown on space debris.  

UK firms have been invited to bid for the £75.6m contract, which will be the UK’s first ever mission to actively remove non-functioning satellites from orbit.  

UKSA chief executive Paul Bate described the mission as “a bold step toward a safer, more sustainable orbital environment,” adding it would help place the UK “at the forefront of the in-orbit services market”.  

This mission is a “critical step in ensuring the long-term sustainability of space operations and protecting the infrastructure that underpins modern life”, the government said.     

Space debris has become a growing threat to the sector and beyond. Human-made objects that have been left behind in space can cause significant damage to satellites, many of which underpin essential services on the ground, from GPS to emergency communications.   

Currently, it is estimated 140 million pieces of space debris smaller than 1cm and over 54,000 tracked objects larger than 10cm are orbiting Earth. Experts have been calling for years for global action to tackle space junk, warning failing to do so could lead to long-lasting consequences.  

Earlier this year director general of the European Space Agency Josef Aschbacher said: “We must now actively clean up the space-debris environment to halt the onset of a chain reaction that could render heavily utilised regions unusable.”  

The Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission will see a specially designed spacecraft, equipped with cutting-edge robotic and autonomous navigation technology, capture and safely de-orbit two non-functioning UK-licensed satellites from low Earth orbit.    

The spacecraft will guide the defunct satellites into Earth’s atmosphere, where they will burn up.  

Space minister Chris Bryant said: “This mission is a direct example of our Plan for Change in action, delivering innovation, sustainability and economic opportunity through bold investment in future technologies.   

“By tackling the growing threat of space debris head-on, we are protecting the infrastructure that supports everything from national security to everyday connectivity whilst also creating high-skilled jobs and securing the UK’s leadership in the growing space economy.”  

The chosen firm will become the supplier to deliver the five-year research and development contract, with the mission set to launch by the end of 2028.  

The new project will build on the £11m already invested since 2021 in feasibility studies and design work, and support the government’s ambition for the UK to become a clean space superpower.  

Joanne Wheeler, director of the Earth & Space Sustainability Initiative (ESSI), said: "ESSI is very encouraged by this announcement. For the past three years, we have been developing sets of Space Sustainability Principles that will facilitate the establishment of the Space Sustainability Standards to ultimately ensure the sustainable use of outer space, covering the lifecycle of a satellite – from launch to decommissioning.   

“The proposed ADR mission is a significant step in the right direction to achieving such sustainability and governance of ISAM (In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing) activities, which the UK can lead on."