The company has raised a total amount of $300m to date for its satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability solutions

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The ELSA-d orbital debris removal mission developed by Astroscale. (Credit: Astroscale)

Astroscale, a Japanese on-orbit services technology provider, has raised $109m in a Series F round from a group of new investors led by THE FUND Limited Partnership in Japan.

The financing round also saw the participation of Seraphim Space Investment Trust, DNCA Invest Beyond Global Leaders, and others.

It the largest funding round to date for Astroscale, which has raised a total amount of $300m for its satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability solutions across all orbits. It follows the $51m capital secured by the company in a Series E round in October 2020.

Seraphim Space CEO Mark Boggett said: “Astroscale is already the category leader, the trailblazer in the global on-orbit servicing market. Its founder and CEO Nobu Okada is credited worldwide as a key figure in galvanising the space industry into action.

“The ball is now firmly rolling on regulation and self-regulation to protect the space environment. We believe that now is the optimum time to invest into this emerging market that will be worth billions over the coming decades.”

Astroscale said that the Series F funding round will help the company to quickly advance the range of missions and services it is developing around the world.

In August 2021, the company had completed the End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) mission, its first technical demonstration in orbit. It is now getting ready for the “capture without tumbling” phase, which is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2021.

In its home country Japan, the company’s Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J) spacecraft was selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency for phase 1 of the Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration Project. According to the company, the ADRAS-J spacecraft will enter the assembly phase early next year.

The company will also use the Series F proceeds to develop safe and cost-effective space capabilities for the servicing ecosystem, expand domestic facilities for mass production in Japan, the US, the UK, and for supporting its growth in other parts of the world.

Okada said: “Since Astroscale’s inception in 2013, we have dedicated ourselves to solving the technological, economic and policy aspects of satellite servicing to build a sustainable infrastructure for a thriving space ecosystem.

“This latest round of funding will dramatically accelerate our ability to make on-orbit servicing routine by 2030. It also shows that investors around the world, acknowledge the tremendous potential in the emerging on-orbit servicing market, which will revolutionise the future of space.”