Ibadan, 29 October 2026. – Astroscale’s UK subsidiary has secured a £15 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to lead Project LEDA, a new defense program intended to strengthen the country’s ability to understand and respond to threats in orbit. Announced on October 28, the contract also names BAE Systems and Open Cosmos as key partners supporting Astroscale UK.
The award builds on Astroscale’s experience in approaching, inspecting, and operating alongside objects in orbit. Its ELSA-d mission demonstrated rendezvous and magnetic capture of a client spacecraft, while ADRAS-J approached and inspected a non-cooperative rocket body from less than 15 meters away in 2024. Astroscale’s UK team also developed ADRAS-J’s ground segment and led flight dynamics operations, including maneuver planning and collision-risk monitoring.
Strengthening the UK’s ability to protect its space-based capabilities.
LEDA reflects the UK’s renewed push to develop in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities. The government’s September 2026 Space Strategy identifies ISAM as one of four priority areas for accelerating capability development, with objectives that include strengthening national security and building a competitive domestic industrial base. The announcement also follows the UK Space Agency’s October 15 award of a contract worth more than £60 million to ClearSpace UK for the country’s first nationally commissioned active debris removal mission.
Although LEDA and the UK’s Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission draw on related technologies for operating close to objects in orbit, they serve different objectives. The ClearSpace-led ADR mission is designed to remove two defunct UK-registered satellites from low Earth orbit, while LEDA is focused on the defense implications of rendezvous and proximity operations. LEDA is intended to improve the UK’s understanding of orbital warfare and how spacecraft operating near other objects could pose threats, helping inform how the country assesses and responds to risks to its space assets.
“Resilience in space matters to everyone. The satellites we depend on support our armed forces, our economy and the services we use every day. Protecting that in-orbit infrastructure requires the ability to understand and operate safely in an increasingly complex environment,” explained Astroscale UK managing director, Nick Shave. “Our ambition is to be the trusted partner for Space Control. We look forward to delivering LEDA for the Ministry of Defense, supported by BAE Systems and Open Cosmos.”
The UK’s Defence Investment Plan
The LEDA contract is underpinned by the government’s Defence Investment Plan which has allocated £3.2 billion to the space domain through 2030. The plan describes space as ‘the central nervous system of modern, high-intensity warfare,’ underscoring the reliance of modern armed forces on satellite communications, navigation, and intelligence services.
“Control of space is not about seeking conflict in space, it is about demonstrating that we can protect the capabilities upon which our economy, our society, and our armed forces depend. Collectively, these new capabilities will help defend UK space interests, safeguard critical space services, and generate operational advantage for the integrated force,” added Rear Admiral Tony Williams, Head of Space Capability at the UK Space Command.
OHB and Astroscale explore international cooperation
Separately, OHB SE and Astroscale Holdings Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore joint opportunities in space security, space domain awareness and in-orbit servicing. The agreement reflects growing interest in protecting space-based infrastructure that supports communications, navigation, Earth observation and national security.
Announced on October 28 at a German-Japanese industry event at the German Embassy in Tokyo, the MoU establishes a framework for identifying potential joint activities involving Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan. The companies will subsequently focus on cooperation between OHB’s German operations and Astroscale UK, while also exploring opportunities linked to Astroscale’s activities in Japan and other international markets.
Combining complementary expertise among trusted industrial partners
The proposed cooperation aims to combine OHB’s expertise in satellite systems engineering and mission operations with Astroscale’s experience in rendezvous and proximity operations and in-orbit servicing. As a result, the companies will explore how these complementary strengths could support space domain awareness, orbital services and more resilient space infrastructure.
“Space infrastructure has become indispensable to modern society and must be protected accordingly,” said Markus Moeller, CSO at OHB SE. “Combining our expertise with Astroscale’s unique capabilities in in-orbit servicing will allow us to explore innovative approaches supporting secure and resilient space operations. We see significant potential in working together to address evolving customer requirements and future challenges in orbit.”
