Latest news with #Astroscale
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Space-debris firm that saw shares surge 62% on IPO loses half its value
When Astroscale Holdings began trading in Tokyo a year ago, excitement over the Japanese space-debris pioneer was riding so high that the stock surged 62%, making it a billion-dollar company. That lasted one day. The value of its shares have since halved after those lofty expectations soured, with the company announcing delays of some projects and lowering some of its earnings estimates. Astroscale is now the worst performer among Tokyo's 10 biggest listings in the past year and it's trading below its initial public offering price, data shows. While the company says the setbacks are temporary, its stock performance illustrates how fast investor patience can run out even for frontier industries like space. "Investors had put high expectations on the company, and the delay in scheduled plans resulted in the stock's underperformance,' said Ikuo Mitsui, a fund manager at Aizawa Securities. "There was a mismatch between investors and the company in terms of timelines.' The company, whose services include removing space debris and repairing satellites in space, recently downgraded its earnings estimates, projecting net losses doubled to ¥22.5 billion in the year ended April 30. It cited delays in new contract signings and revenue recognition for existing projects, according to a release by Astroscale, which will report earnings next week. It didn't help that the company also issued more stock to raise funds, diluting the value of existing shares, according to Koji Endo, an analyst at SBI Securities. Though investors are aware the company needs money, it needs to show better growth, he said. There are some positive signs, however. The company posted its first gross profit during the fiscal third quarter and its operating losses have been narrowing the past two quarters. The company remains optimistic that recent setbacks are only transitory. "We expect more growth for the current fiscal year and aim to achieve better profitability than last year,' said Nobuhiro Matsuyama, chief financial officer at Astroscale, in an interview. Astroscale aims to improve its profitability further by controlling costs and securing 20 to 30 projects globally, he said. The company has enough funding for now, raising about ¥12 billion in a recent share sale, but Astroscale will continue to raise funds if there's a need for investment, Matsuyama said. Toshiyuki Tateno, an analyst at Phillip Securities Japan, agrees that the company's long-term prospects remain bright. Despite the recent weak performance, the technology the company has should revalue the stock higher going forward, he said.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Japanese Space-Debris Firm Loses Half Its Value a Year After IPO
When Astroscale Holdings Inc. began trading in Tokyo a year ago, excitement over the Japanese space-debris pioneer was riding so high that the stock surged 62%, making it a billion-dollar company. That lasted one day. The shares have since halved after those lofty expectations soured, with the company announcing delays of some projects and lowering some of its earnings estimates.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
2 private satellites undock after pioneering life-extension mission
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Two commercial satellites have completed an undocking maneuver high above Earth, signaling the successful end to a pioneering spacecraft life-extension mission. The Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1), developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation's Space Logistics LLC, docked with Intelsat's IS-901 communications satellite in 2020 in a graveyard orbit, a few hundred miles above geosynchronous orbit (GEO), an orbital belt 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth. MEV-1, which launched atop a Russian Proton rocket in October 2019 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, then brought IS-901 back to GEO and allowed it to restart its operations. But now, after extending the life of IS-901 for five years, the mission has come to an end. IS-901 has been taken back into the GEO graveyard — where decommissioned satellites are positioned to remove them safely from the active GEO belt — by MEV-1. There, the two spacecraft undocked. Just as the 2020 rendezvous was the first docking between commercial spacecraft in GEO, this marks the first such commercial undocking. Related: Watch Northrop Grumman's MEV-1 dock with Intelsat 901! This is not the end for MEV-1, however, as the spacecraft is currently relocating to the next servicing mission, according to Northrop Grumman. This is all part of the company's plans to provide life-extension services for satellites in GEO. "The first-of-its kind technology that extended a satellite's life is paving the way for an entire infrastructure of future on-orbit satellite servicing missions for a variety of customers," Rob Hauge, president of Northrop Grumman Space Logistics, said in an April 9 statement. "We are continuing to invest in next-generation capabilities to deliver the most technologically advanced servicing capabilities to support and maintain new and existing space-based assets." MEV-1 is not the only player in the satellite life-extension game. Northrop Grumman Space Logistics' follow-on spacecraft, MEV-2, is currently docked to Intelsat 10-02 and will continue providing life-extension services for an additional four years. — Private Astroscale probe will refuel Space Force satellites high above Earth on landmark 2026 mission — Ailing Intelsat satellite begins new life in orbit after historic servicing mission success — NASA cancels multibillion-dollar on-orbit satellite servicing mission The U.S. Space Force also recently tapped Northrop Grumman for the Elixir refueling payload program, which will "enable the Space Force to refine tactics and procedures for rendezvous and proximity operations, docking, refueling, and undocking of on-orbit vehicles," according to a different Northrop Grumman statement. Meanwhile, Astroscale U.S. will attempt to refuel a pair of Space Force spacecraft in 2026, following an announcement at the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs earlier this month. Elsewhere, China launched its own experimental refueling spacecraft, Shijian 25, in January this year. Countries and companies are pursuing life extension and satellite-servicing capabilities for a range of uses and reasons, including reducing space debris, potential cost savings and enabling flexible and sustainable satellite operations.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The U.S. is building a fuel depot in space
Some 22,500 miles above Earth, a spacecraft filled with thruster fuel will gas up two orbiting Space Force assets. The high-altitude endeavor, undertaken by the orbital servicing enterprise Astroscale U.S., is slated to occur in the summer of 2026, the company announced this week. This Department of Defense-funded mission will see Astroscale's 660-pound craft refuel a satellite with the propellant hydrazine, then maneuver to a fueling depot to fill up with more fuel, and then refuel another asset. (All the involved assets haven't yet been revealed by the Space Force.) It will be the first time a Space Force craft is refueled in orbit. Such a fuel shuttle could keep missions in space longer and eliminate the need for any craft to suspend its mission to retrieve thruster propellant. It's a novel type of full-service gas station. "This changes fundamentally how we do things in space," Ian Thomas, Astroscale U.S.' Refueler Program Manager, told Mashable. SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills. After launching, the refueled craft will travel to a region called geostationary orbit, which is a unique place around Earth where spacecraft orbit at same rate Earth is rotating — meaning they stay locked in the same position relative to our planet. There, Astroscale's craft will carefully approach its first Space Force satellite target, called Tetra-5, and transfer fuel. The refueler will then thrust away and inspect the scene with a specialized camera to ensure no valuable fuel is leaking. Then, the refueler will fly to a nearby fuel depot, or gas station, and attach and pull fuel from the depot before traveling to its second refueling target. "This changes fundamentally how we do things in space." "The point of the mission is to make sure all the different parts are viable and work," Thomas explained. "You have a fuel depot, a client, and us." How Astroscale's refueler, "ASP-R," will approach and refuel spacecraft in orbit around Earth. Credit: Astroscale U.S. For an outer space operation, while certainly not simple, it's relatively efficient once the refueler arrives at a spacecraft running on empty. "It is definitely longer than refueling your car but it's something that can be done in a matter of hours," Thomas said. You've probably noticed that most spacecraft, whether satellites or NASA deep space probes, are fitted with solar panels. These are invaluable, as they provide power to a craft's computer systems, cameras, and beyond. But they can't provide propellant to move and reorient craft, avoid high-speed space junk, or keep a satellite from naturally getting dragged into Earth's atmosphere. That's why refueling is vital. "The paradigm we had doesn't hold up anymore." If a spacecraft can be refueled, engineers can design missions that aren't limited by fuel. The revolutionary, $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope, for example, has finite fuel, and its mission (while still lengthy) is limited to some 20 years. "The paradigm we had doesn't hold up any more," Thomas emphasized. An artist's conception of Astroscale's refueler orbiting Earth. Credit: Astroscale U.S. This isn't Astroscale's first orbital rodeo. In a separate mission intended to deorbit large pieces of space debris (called Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan), the company has already closely approached a large rocket stage to test close proximity maneuverability and reconnaissance; next up, an Astroscale spacecraft will use a robotic arm to bring the large 36-foot-long spent rocket stage down to Earth, in 2028. But before then, the company may prove that running a fuel depot in Earth's orbit isn't just feasible; it could redefine how expensive orbiting spacecraft — whether used for national security, communications, or science — operate in space. "If you run out of fuel, you run out of life," Thomas said.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Private Astroscale probe will refuel Space Force satellites high above Earth on landmark 2026 mission
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The U.S. arm of on-orbit services and logistics company Astroscale will attempt to refuel a pair of U.S. Space Force spacecraft in a daring and complex mission planned for 2026. The mission, announced at the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs on Tuesday (April 8), aims to pave the way for scalable refueling services in space and bring "added agility and operational flexibility for dynamic space operations" for the Space Force, Astroscale said in a statement. Launch is scheduled for summer 2026. Astroscale's 660-pound (300 kilograms) APS-R Refueler spacecraft will head for the geostationary belt (GEO), around 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth's equator. Positioned slightly above GEO, it will target one of two U.S. Space Force Tetra-5 satellites due to be launched next year, and attempt to dock with the spacecraft. The Refueler will then transfer hydrazine propellant to the target satellite from a refillable tank. Related: Wow! Private space-junk probe snaps historic photo of discarded rocket in orbit Both spacecraft will be traveling around 6,870 mph (11,050 kph) in orbit, requiring exquisite guidance, propulsion and sensor systems to safely approach and dock. That's not all. The mission includes a partnership with startup Orbit Fab. The Tetra-5 satellites will carry Orbit Fab's Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface (RAFTI), which will facilitate refueling. After docking with and refueling a Tetra-5 spacecraft, APS-R will back off, scan for leaks, then head to an Orbit Fab fuel depot to collect more propellant. APS-R will then travel to a second, currently undisclosed spacecraft for another rendezvous, docking and refueling test. "We're changing the reality of what's possible," Ron Lopez, president of Astroscale U.S., said in the statement. "This mission proves that in-space logistics does not have to be years away. We're a focused team with one goal: deliver and operate an operational prototype spacecraft for the Space Force." Related Stories: — Astroscale aims to capture old space junk with robotic arm in 2026 (exclusive video) — Astroscale gets up to $80 million for space junk inspection mission — Private space-junk probe to conduct up-close inspection of spent rocket stage Astroscale is also making strides in active debris removal with the ADRAS-J orbital inspection mission, which last year got up close to a spent rocket stage. The company also launched the ELSA-d mission in 2021. Astroscale's APS-R Refueler will not be the first spacecraft to attempt to dock with and extend the life of another spacecraft. Northrop Grumman has tested life-extension services for satellites with its Mission Extension Vehicle-1 and Mission Extension Vehicle-2 flights in recent years. China meanwhile launched its own Shijian 25 test refueler and mission extension spacecraft in January. Such missions could lead to a change in how satellites are designed, such as being readily serviceable. This could lead to extended missions and help reduce space debris.
