Ibadan, 8 April 2026. – Astroscale Ltd (“Astroscale UK”) has successfully completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the UK Ministry of Defense’s Orpheus mission, marking a major milestone in delivering new UK capability in support of Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR).
The Orpheus mission requires Astroscale UK to operate two spacecraft, which Open Cosmos will build as a subcontractor, flying in close formation to deliver critical data on the space domain. The satellites will collect in-situ and remote-sensing data that will help to deepen the UK’s ability to anticipate and mitigate emerging threats in orbit.
With CDR now complete, Astroscale UK and its industrial partners will move into the next phase of program delivery, progressing towards system integration and mission readiness. As a result, the Orpheus mission remains on track for a tentative launch in 2027 as the company begins flight preparation while maintaining the rigorous assurance necessary for a resilient UK space domain awareness capability.
“Passing CDR is an important achievement for the Orpheus program and a demonstration of Astroscale UK’s ability to deliver missions that enhance national resilience,” said Nick Shave, Managing Director, Astroscale UK. “This mission will provide vital insights for both the UK and its international partners as we work together to ensure the security and stability of the space environment.”
Astroscale UK will operate the mission from Harwell, Oxfordshire, drawing on extensive in-orbit heritage from the ELSA-d and ADRAS-J missions, which demonstrated the company’s expertise in Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO).
Furthermore, developing capability in space domain awareness is central not only to Orpheus, but to the UK’s broader ambitions in in-orbit servicing and space security, supporting freedom of operation in space while protecting against interference.
