Tokyo, Japan. Astroscale Japan Inc. (“Astroscale Japan”), a subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc. (“Astroscale”), the market leader in satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability across all orbits, has signed a launch agreement with NewSpace India Limited (“NSIL”), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under Department of Space, Government of India, for launch of its ISSA-J1 (In-situ Space Situational Awareness-Japan 1) mission. The spacecraft is scheduled to be launched on the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in spring 2027.
ISSA-J1 is being developed under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programme, sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The SBIR program was established to promote research and development for Japanese startups and organisations engaged in advancing innovative technologies, and to facilitate the smooth implementation of results through government support.
The ISSA-J1 mission, built on Astroscale’s heritage in rendezvous and proximity operations, inspection and characterisation capabilities, will diagnose and inspect two large satellite debris in orbit. ISSA-J1 is now in the final stages of design, with manufacturing of flight components and operational planning underway. Assembly and testing are scheduled to begin in the coming months in preparation for the 2027 launch.
“We selected NSIL after thorough evaluations of more than ten launch service providers over the past year, considering technical capabilities, track record cost and other elements,” says Eddie Kato, President & Managing Director of Astroscale Japan. “NSIL serves as the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation, Government of India for space-related business activities, and the PSLV is one of the world’s leading rockets for low Earth orbit, demonstrating approximately 60 successful launches. This marks the first time a Japanese entity has procured a dedicated PSLV launch.”
Kato added, “This agreement is not only a critical milestone for the ISSA-J1 mission success, but also a strategic step in advancing our business enterprise in the Indian market. We’ve signed memorandums of understanding with two Indian startups, Bellatrix and Digantara, to jointly explore and develop the market, and through our local representative, MEMCO Associates, we are actively fostering collaboration in the Indian space ecosystem from both the “sell” and “buy” Initiatives. I had a privilege of introducing this initiative during the India-Japan Economic Forum held at the end of August, which was graced by the presence of Prime Minister Modi of India and Prime Minister Ishiba of Japan. We expect this agreement with NSIL to significantly contribute to those efforts.”
