Astroscale US Inc., a subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc., the market leader in satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability across all orbits, has announced the opening of its new, state-of-art headquarters facility in Denver, Colorado, following a grand opening celebration that included Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera, leadership from NASA, JAXA, UK Space Agency, and more, and a statement from US Senator John Hickenlooper.
“We’re entering a bright future in space exploration, but our operations are being threatened by something ominous: space junk,” said US Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO). “Astroscale’s work in active debris removal, OOS [on-orbit servicing], and space situational awareness will transform the space economy and ensure continued access to critical assets and orbits in space. [This] is a global company working to solve a truly global problem. And we’re over the moon to have Astroscale as part of Colorado’s booming space ecosystem.”
Astroscale US began operations in 2019, selecting Denver as its base of operations to leverage the region’s robust and vibrant aerospace industry and community. The new US headquarters stands at 13,500 square feet of space and includes a state-of-the-art lab and operations center. The 100-year-old building was recently renovated to fit Astroscale’s needs and features custom space-themed murals on the outside and interior. Astroscale US employs 60 full-time employees located in Denver and Washington, DC
“Astroscale US has a deep commitment to securing the safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations, and to serving the US government and commercial customers in that commitment,” said Astroscale US President and Managing Director, Ron Lopez. “This outstanding new facility will serve as the place where our employees, customers, and partners can collaborate and create to deliver on that commitment.”
Astroscale provides on-orbit services across all orbits. This includes End-of-Life for defunct satellites pre-engineered for servicing; In-Space Situational Awareness/Inspection to diagnose and characterize objects; Life Extension to keep geostationary orbit satellites in operation after fuel depletions; and Active Debris Removal of large, non-prepared debris currently in orbit.
“Globally, Astroscale is known for providing end-to-end service, addressing mission licensing, spectrum acquisition, insurance and operations for space debris removal and other on-orbit services,” said Astroscale Founder and CEO Nobu Okada. “Astroscale US has been providing the US government and commercial customers around the world with new possibilities to solve their challenges, and this new facility will help turn more of those possibilities into realities.”
Since 2019, Astroscale US has made great strides. Earlier this year, Astroscale US, CisLunar Industries, and Colorado State University received a $1.7 million contract from the US Space Force to develop a circular propulsion ecosystem based on the ability to recycle metal in space, to enable enhanced satellite mobility. Late last year, Astroscale US entered a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Air Force Research Laboratory to develop critical In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing technologies that support Space Mobility and Logistics.
Additional accomplishments include:
Signing an agreement with Orbit Fab to refuel Astroscale’s Life Extension In-Orbit Servicer, the first commercial satellite designed to be refueled
Providing thought leadership on critical funding legislation and civil space situational awareness services
Astroscale US President and Managing Director, Ron Lopez, selected to serve on the National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group
Providing annual summer internship opportunities in engineering, market analysis, marketing, policy and proposal management
Astroscale US also has a research and development subsidiary in Israel; Astroscale’s global headquarters is located in Tokyo, with additional subsidiaries in Japan and the United Kingdom.