Astroscale Ltd, the UK subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc., has completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the Ministry of Defence’s Orpheus mission, marking a major milestone in delivering new UK capability in support of Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) thereby strengthening the UK’s long-term resilience in space.
The Orpheus mission requires Astroscale UK to operate two spacecraft, to be built by subcontractor Open Cosmos, flying in close formation delivering critical data on the space domain. The development of the spacecraft builds on Open Cosmos’s small satellite heritage and incorporates significant design input from Astroscale UK. It is a highly collaborative partnership with critical technical support from Dstl and contributions from international partners including the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Defence Research and Development Canada. These satellites will collect in-situ and remote-sensing data that will deepen the UK’s ability to anticipate and mitigate emerging threats in orbit.
The CDR confirms the maturity of the mission design and authorises the programme to progress to spacecraft integration readiness. The £5.15m contract was awarded to Astroscale UK by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) via BAE Systems under the Serapis framework.
Astroscale UK will operate the mission from Harwell, Oxfordshire, drawing on extensive in-orbit heritage from the ELSA-d and ADRAS-J missions, which have demonstrated the company’s world-leading expertise in Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO). This capability is central not only to Orpheus, but to the UK’s broader ambitions in in-orbit servicing and space security, supporting freedom of operation in space while protecting against interference.
“Passing CDR is an important achievement for the Orpheus programme and a demonstration of Astroscale UK’s ability to deliver missions that enhance national resilience,” said Nick Shave, Managing Director, Astroscale UK. “This mission will provide vital insights for both the UK and its international partners as we work together to ensure the security and stability of the space environment.”
“Passing Critical Design Review marks a major achievement for the Orpheus mission and for everyone involved,” said Andrew Robinson, Dstl Space Systems Programme Manager. “As a Dstl procured CubeSat mission carrying a suite of international payloads, Orpheus reflects over a decade of close collaboration with our international allies and showcases the strength of our partnerships with UK industry. This mission will deliver vital research and development outcomes for Dstl’s Space Systems Programme and play a key role in advancing the UK’s ability to design, build, and deliver space systems for the future.”
The CDR milestone comes at a time of increasing national focus on space. Over the past year, UK Government has placed greater emphasis on space as a domain of strategic importance from last year’s Modern Industrial Strategy and Strategic Defence Review to growing commitments to international programmes, including the European Space Agency’s Space Safety Programme.
Orpheus contributes directly to this momentum, combining sovereign UK capability development with deep international collaboration, reflecting the UK’s commitment to partnering with allies to advance shared SDA and ISR objectives. With CDR now complete, Astroscale UK and its industrial partners, including Open Cosmos, will move into the next phase of programme delivery, progressing towards system integration and mission readiness. The Orpheus mission remains on track for a planned launch in 2027, as the programme continues to mature under close collaboration with government and industry partners. This next phase will focus on preparing the mission for flight while maintaining the rigorous assurance required to deliver a resilient new UK capability in space domain awareness.
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