Search

U.S. Space Force Wants to Harness Commercial Industry Ideas on Debris Removal

U.S. Space Force Wants to Harness Commercial Industry Ideas on Debris Removal
On March 22 last year, a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan launched the End-of-Life Services by Astroscale demonstrator (ELSA-d) by Japan's Astoscale company, which is focused on space debris removal by pushing space objects into the Earth's atmosphere where they would burn up. On Apr. 6, Astroscale said that it would abandon its mission to capture a space object, as four of the servicer’s eight thrusters had experienced technical difficulties and are non-functional. The company said that it hopes to capture space debris in a future mission (Astroscale Photo)

U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC) may hold an industry day to hear from commercial companies about possible technologies for space debris removal, the profit potential for such companies for that mission, and how Space Force could leverage commercial expertise. During a question and answer session with reporters at the Space Foundation's Space Symposium in Colorado Springs on Apr. 6, Brig. Gen. Stephen Purdy, the program executive officer of assured access to space at SSC, said that space debris…

Subscriber-only content. Please log in below.

Not a subscriber or registered user yet?

Please contact us at clientservices@accessintel.com or call us at 888-707-5814 (Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET.), to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website.



Contract Updates

Aerojet Rocketdyne Coleman Aerospace Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc. (Orlando, Florida) – $10,333,902

Aerojet Rocketdyne, Coleman Aerospace Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc., Orlando, Florida, is being awarded a $10,333,902 modification (P00258) to exercise an option to a previously awarded contract (HQ1047-14-C-0001) to increase calendar year 2026 program management office…


The Bell Boeing Joint Project Office (California, Maryland) – $262,069,451

The Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, California, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $262,069,451 fixed-price-incentive, performance-based contract for V-22 Phase II consumable market basket items. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 3204 (a)(1), as stated in…


Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) – $264,867,008

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been awarded an estimated $264,867,008 modification to award a hybrid firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (SPRTA1-26-F-0020) against a five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (SPRTA1-19-D-0001) for B-2 rudders. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification…


General Dynamics Land Systems Inc. (Sterling Heights, Michigan) – $11,146,013

General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded an $11,146,013 modification (P00122) to contract W56HZV-22-C-0012 to exercise option hours for Abrams system technical support. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of…