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In-orbit servicing company Astroscale says it has selected German launch startup Isar Aerospace to loft its ADRAS-J2 debris removal mission.
The mission is due for launch between 2027 and 2028 from Andoya Spaceport in Norway using Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket, which has yet to conduct its first orbital deployment. The mission is backed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration program, with funding of around $83 million, Astroscale said.
ADRAS-J2, which builds on the ADRAS-J mission, during which Astroscale performed close-proximity operations around a noncooperative object, will aim to deorbit an upper-stage rocket body. The intended target measures about 11 m (36 ft.) in length and 4 m in diameter and weighs about 3 metric tons.
“ADRAS-J2 is a pioneering mission that aims to achieve the world’s first removal of legacy space debris that has remained in orbit for decades and was never designed for removal,” Astroscale CEO Nobu Okada said in a statement.
Astroscale said it opted for the Isar Aerospace rocket for its payload capacity and ability to meet mission-specific orbital needs. The satellite is now in manufacturing.
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