Astroscale Japan Awarded Ministry of Defense Contract to Develop Gripping Mechanism System

January 5, 2026

 Astroscale Japan Inc. has been awarded an approximately 1 billion yen (tax excluded) contract by the Japan Ministry of Defense to support satellite protection capabilities through the development and ground-based demonstration of a general gripping mechanism system, needed for securely gripping national satellites under a variety of on-orbit conditions. The project period runs from December 2025 through March 2028.

“In February, we received an order from the Ministry of Defense to develop a prototype for a Responsive Space System Demonstration Satellite,” said Eddie Kato, President & Managing Director of Astroscale Japan. “That project involves the design and development of a proto-flight model for a small geostationary demonstration satellite intended to verify technologies required to enhance space domain awareness, space surveillance, intelligence gathering and space operations capabilities. It marked our entry into Japan’s security and defense sector.”

Kato added, “This newly awarded contract for the development of a gripping mechanism becomes our second contract with the Ministry of Defense and further solidifies our path toward contributing to national security by leveraging our proximity and capture technologies. We will continue to apply the expertise we have developed through our core on-orbit servicing technologies.”

Major spacefaring nations are strengthening the capabilities and increasing the number of satellites equipped with early warning, communications, positioning and reconnaissance functions. At the same time, international competition in space, spanning security, science and technology and commercial domains, continues to intensify. Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Defense formulated the Space Domain Defense Guidelines in July, outlining its intent to strengthen defense capabilities in the space domain. This latest contract falls under the “Mission Assurance,” one of the pillars indicated in the guidelines.