ELSA-d

Camera observations from ELSA-d will generate data to be used by ESA in developing a future larger optical instrument.

ELSA-d will launch from Kazakhstan and will receive ground station support in multiple countries.

Astroscale will operate ELSA-d out of the UK using the In-Orbit Servicing Control Centre National Facility (IOCC) developed by a team led by Astroscale.

The 16 ground stations supporting ELSA-d are spread across 12 countries.

Viasat will provide connectivity for ELSA-d using its Real-Time Earth ground stations located across North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Australia.

ELSA-d was licensed in the UK and operated from the National In-orbit Servicing Centre at Harwell.

The servicer used in Astroscale’s 2021 demonstration later lost half its thrusters and was unable to recapture the spacecraft to complete a controlled descent intended to jointly burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Astroscale Japan Inc. contracted Glavkosmos/GK Launch Services to launch the ELSA-d mission on a Soyuz-2 cluster mission from Baikonur Cosmodrome in early 2020.

Astroscale planned to launch its End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) mission in the later half of 2020 as the world’s first demonstration of commercial orbital debris removal.

Astroscale’s ELSA-d mission will launch on a Soyuz rocket operated by GK Launch Services from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan in March 2021.

Astroscale planned to launch the ELSA-d mission toward the end of 2020.

Astroscale’s ELSA-d mission will launch on a Soyuz rocket operated by GK Launch Services from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan in March 2021.

Astroscale will launch the space debris removal demonstration satellite ELSA-d on 2021-03-20 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a Soyuz rocket provided by GK Launch Services.

ELSA-d is scheduled to launch 2021-03-20 as part of a GK Launch Services Soyuz-2 rideshare mission from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.

GK Launch Services postponed the launch of Astroscale’s ELSA-d and rescheduled it to Monday, 2021-03-22, at 06:07 UTC.

Astroscale, an Oxfordshire-based company, launched the ELSA-d satellite clean-up and decommissioning programme earlier 2021.

Astroscale launched the ELSA-d spacecraft on 2021-03-22 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Astroscale sought 20–30 minutes of connectivity using four partners in 16 locations for the ELSA-d demonstrations, compared with a typical LEO mission connectivity of 5–15 minutes with one or two providers.

Astroscale’s ELSA-d tested its magnetic capture system to capture its client spacecraft on Wednesday, 2021-08-25 (UTC).

Astroscale’s End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) successfully tested its magnetic capture system on Wednesday, 2021-08-25 (UTC).