TSE:186A
Tokyo-founded Astroscale is a pioneer of commercial space-debris removal, turning orbital sustainability into a business.
Making space sustainable
Founded in 2013 in Tokyo and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (186A) in 2024, Astroscale is the leading pure-play company in orbital debris removal. As low-Earth orbit fills with defunct satellites and fragments, Astroscale builds spacecraft that can rendezvous with, inspect and de-orbit dead objects — a service governments and satellite operators increasingly need to keep orbits usable.
Proven in orbit
Astroscale’s ADRAS-J mission, selected by Japan’s space agency JAXA for its debris-removal demonstration, achieved a historic ~15-metre approach to a real piece of large debris in 2024 — capturing close-up imagery and data on how debris behaves. Its next step, the ELSA-M commercial removal mission, targets 2026, designed to de-orbit multiple prepared satellites in a single flight.
Why it represents the next generation
Astroscale created a new category — orbital sustainability as a service — and is commercialising it ahead of rivals. It is a flagship example of Japanese deep tech solving a global, infrastructure-scale problem.
Why it matters for global partners and investors
- For satellite operators and governments, Astroscale provides debris-removal and end-of-life services that keep orbits usable.
- For investors, it is the listed pure-play leader in a brand-new orbital-sustainability market.
- The trend to watch is regulation and demand driving paid space-debris removal.
Frequently asked questions
What does Astroscale do?
Astroscale is a Tokyo-founded company, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (186A), that pioneers commercial space-debris removal. It builds spacecraft to rendezvous with, inspect and de-orbit defunct satellites and debris.
Has Astroscale’s technology flown?
Yes. Its ADRAS-J mission, selected by JAXA, made a historic approach to within about 15 metres of a real piece of large orbital debris in 2024. Its ELSA-M commercial removal mission targets 2026.
Why does Astroscale matter?
It created and is commercialising a new category — orbital sustainability as a service — addressing the growing problem of space junk, and is a flagship of Japanese deep tech.
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This profile is part of Japonity’s next-generation Japanese companies series, spotlighting the startups and challengers redefining Japan’s new economy.
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