The Emerging Business of Cleaning Up Space Junk

The growing volume of defunct satellites and debris in orbit has turned active debris removal from a research concept into an emerging commercial industry, with several companies now testing spacecraft designed specifically to capture and deorbit dead satellites.

The volume of tracked debris and defunct satellites in orbit has grown steadily as launch activity has accelerated, prompting a shift in how the industry treats orbital debris: rather than viewing it purely as a hazard to be tracked and avoided, several companies have begun developing spacecraft specifically designed to capture and remove dead satellites from crowded orbital regions.

These active debris removal missions use various capture mechanisms, including robotic arms, nets, and harpoon-style systems, to grab a defunct satellite and either guide it to a lower orbit where it will burn up in the atmosphere, or in some cases directly service and extend the life of a still-functional but stranded satellite.

The business model still depends heavily on future regulation

Companies in this emerging industry generally acknowledge that a fully self-sustaining commercial market for debris removal depends on regulatory requirements mandating that satellite operators either remove their own defunct hardware or pay a specialized company to do it, rules that exist in only limited form in most jurisdictions today.

“The technology to remove debris works. The business model really depends on regulators eventually requiring someone to pay for it.”

With several government space agencies already contracting early debris removal demonstration missions and discussions underway in international bodies about stronger end-of-life disposal requirements, the sector appears positioned to grow from a handful of demonstration missions into a more established commercial industry over the coming years.