Astroscale selects Isar Aerospace to launch ELSA-M mission

WASHINGTON — Japanese satellite servicing company Astroscale has selected Isar Aerospace to launch a deorbiting mission developed by its British subsidiary.

Astroscale announced March 13 it signed a contract with Isar to launch its ELSA-M spacecraft on a Spectrum rocket. The launch is scheduled for Astroscale’s 2028 fiscal year, which begins in May 2027. The companies did not disclose the value of the contract.

ELSA-M, or End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-Multiple, is a spacecraft under development by Astroscale U.K. to demonstrate the ability to deorbit spacecraft from low Earth orbit. It is designed to dock with a defunct OneWeb satellite and lower its orbit for a controlled reentry.

Astroscale did not state why it selected Isar’s Spectrum to launch ELSA-M. Spectrum has performed one orbital launch attempt to date, a flight nearly a year ago that malfunctioned shortly after liftoff from Andøya, Norway. Isar is gearing up for a second Spectrum launch scheduled for as soon as March 19.

The company noted in a presentation accompanying its fiscal year 2026 third quarter financial results that it expects Spectrum to have completed “several” launches by the time ELSA-M is ready for flight.

It added that it was important to have ELSA-M, whose development has been supported by the European Space Agency, to launch from Europe. “Launching a European-funded ESA mission such as ELSA-M aboard a European rocket carries strong strategic significance for Europe’s independent space-development ambitions,” it stated.

ESLA-M is making progress towards that launch, with Astroscale reporting that the spacecraft completed initial environmental tests at the National Satellite Test Facility in the United Kingdom.

The mission is one of several in development by Astroscale business units in Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. They include inspection, refueling and life extension spacecraft.

Astroscale reported 8.35 billion yen ($52.2 million) in overall income in the first nine months of its fiscal year, which includes both revenue and government subsidies. The company had an operating loss of 7.14 billion yen for the first nine months, in line with full-year projections of an operating loss of 9.3 to 10.3 billion yen.

The company said it is seeing a “clear tailwind” from growing defense interest in satellite servicing capabilities in Europe, Japan and the United States. “As national space defense strategies continue to materialize into concrete missions, we see significant opportunities to expand our role as a partner supporting the security and resilience of space assets,” it stated.