Astroscale and HEO advance space monitoring capabilities f

Japanese company Astroscale Holdings Inc, which specialises in satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability across all orbits, has signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australian company High Earth Orbit Robotics Pty Ltd (HEO), a market leader in non-Earth imaging andspace-based Space Domain Awareness (SDA).

The agreement deepens the two companies’ existing partnership to develop and deliver critical capabilities for monitoring, assessing and ultimately servicing allied defence, government and commercial space assets assets, contributing to the shared vision of a secure and sustainable space ecosystem, says Astroscale.

The two companies are building tools to track, manage and service spacecraft in orbit, enhancing the resilience of satellites that deliver everything from GPS navigation and national defence operations to weather forecasting.

Since its first successful launch in March 2021, Astroscale has proven rendezvous and proximity operations technologies in orbit during the ELSA-d and ADRAS-J missions, establishing the company as a leader in on-orbit servicing. Astroscale spacecraft have been selected for pioneering missions with JAXA, the U.S. Space Force, the European Space Agency, the UK Space Agency, and Eutelsat OneWeb.

This new MoU extends collaboration from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) into Geostationary (GEO) and geostationary transfer orbits, where many defence and government satellites operate. Together, Astroscale and HEO aim to enhance the inspection and characterization of space objects, develop catalogues of candidate debris clients, and refine operational concepts to support safe and efficient on-orbit servicing missions for allied nations, says Astroscale.

“Through this partnership, we are strengthening the connection between monitoring and managing orbital risks, advancing essential SDA capabilities, and supporting mission success across all orbits,” said Mike Lindsay, CTO at Astroscale. “A sustainable space ecosystem requires coordinated data and action, and we’re proud to deepen our collaboration with HEO to help make it a reality.”

Australian technology is at the core of this effort, powering satellite inspection solutions that contribute directly to allied SDA strategies. Astroscale and HEO are helping ensure secure operations of national security and commercial satellites across multiple orbits.

“We’ve been working closely with Astroscale over the past few years to identify how NEI capabilities can create a sustainable approach to solving difficult challenges in orbit,” said Hiranya Jayakody, Co-Founder & CTO of HEO. “Astroscale’s accomplishments in advancing orbital sustainability speak for themselves, and we’re excited to continue strengthening our partnership as we extend into new orbital regimes to support allied operations with frequent satellite monitoring and risk management capabilities.”

This agreement aligns with Astroscale’s broader defense and SDA portfolio. Astroscale Japan was recently awarded a contract by Japan’s Ministry of Defense to develop a responsive space system demonstration satellite prototype.