The contract for Phase 3 of the Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission was initially scheduled to be awarded by March 30, 2026, following a tender issued in July 2025. In its latest annual report, published on July 14, the agency said it now expects to make the award during summer 2026, without providing a specific date or explaining the reason for the delay.
UK Space Agency Awards Contracts to Advance In-Orbit Manufacturing
Mission Targets Defunct Satellites
The ADR mission is intended to demonstrate the capture and controlled removal of two defunct UK-licensed satellites from low Earth orbit by the end of 2028.
The spacecraft selected for the mission were not designed for servicing or retrieval, making the project a demonstration of technologies capable of capturing unprepared and non-cooperative satellites in orbit.
The mission forms part of broader efforts to address the growing amount of orbital debris and reduce collision risks in increasingly congested low Earth orbit.
UK Space Agency Allocates £7 Million to Advance Next-Generation Satellite Technologies
Budget Approval Exceeds Original Estimate
When UKSA issued the Phase 3 procurement, it estimated the contract would be worth £63 million before value-added tax, or £75.6 million including VAT.
However, spending records published by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which oversees UKSA, indicate that £83.93 million excluding VAT was approved for the mission in June 2025.
The approved funding exceeds the original estimated contract value by £20.93 million, although neither DSIT nor UKSA has disclosed what the additional funding will support.
Two Teams Remain in Competition
During the first two phases of the program, UKSA funded competing mission concepts developed by the UK subsidiaries of Astroscale and ClearSpace.
The companies’ respective COSMIC and CLEAR concepts completed feasibility studies, preliminary design reviews, and technology maturation activities intended to reduce mission risk.
Phase 3 is expected to result in the selection of one contractor to complete spacecraft development, launch, and in-orbit operations.
UKSA has not indicated whether the procurement delay will affect the mission’s planned launch and debris removal activities scheduled for 2028.
Canada and UK Forge Ahead with CASTOR Telescope Project in Space Exploration Partnership
