Astroscale U.S. will conduct testing at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to support upcoming refueling missions for the United States Space Force

Astroscale U.S.,  has signed a reimbursable Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to test rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD) capabilities of the Astroscale U.S. Refueler spacecraft. Astroscale U.S. will test its Refueler at GSFC in preparation for Astroscale U.S.’s two refueling operations of U.S. DOD satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) for the United States Space Force (USSF).

“Conducting orbital maneuvers to match the orbit and attitude of a client spacecraft, closely approach, and then dock to it — commonly known as RPOD — is a series of incredibly complex activities,” said Dr. Clare Martin, Executive Vice President of Astroscale U.S. “We’re thrilled to enter into this Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, which provides one of the most flight-like testing environments available. This opportunity allows our team to test like we fly, leverage GSFC’s deep expertise in on-orbit servicing and assembly, and build on Astroscale’s global, flight-proven leadership in RPO.” 

GSFC is a premier test site, known for supporting landmark missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope servicing efforts as well as other NASA in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) projects.

The Space Act Agreement enables Astroscale U.S. to validate the Refueler spacecraft’s complex RPO and docking maneuvers with high fidelity. The partnership illustrates the opportunities unlocked by the center’s renowned ISAM robotic testing facilities.

“Part of our mission is to enable industry to develop new in-space capabilities and help ensure the continued advancement of on-orbit servicing,” said Jill McGuire, Associate Director for NASA’s Exploration and In-Space Services (NExIS) Projects Division at GSFC.