Swiss startup ClearSpace has been chosen by the UK Space Agency (UKSA) as prime contractor for the country’s first national active debris removal mission. According to Startupticker.ch, which reported the announcement, the contract is worth more than £61 million. This is neither a funding round nor a simple partnership: ClearSpace has been commissioned to design, develop and deliver a complete mission for a government customer.

Two British satellites to be removed from low Earth orbit

Named UK Active Debris Removal (UK ADR), the mission is to remove two defunct UK-registered satellites from low Earth orbit. The technical challenge is a specific one: to show that it is possible to approach, capture and safely dispose of objects that were never designed to be handled in orbit.

According to the press release, the mission will demonstrate advanced autonomous guidance, navigation and control systems, as well as capture technologies able to interact safely with “unprepared” objects. These building blocks are presented as essential to the emerging market for in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing, known by the acronym ISAM.

A 2029 timeline, subject to conditions

Active removal operations are targeted for 2029. The press release notes, however, that this timeline remains subject to final mission and launch planning. The sources specify neither the launch vehicle nor the date of entry into orbit.

The contract was signed on 14 October 2026 at ClearSpace’s London office, in the presence of the UK Space Minister, Liz Lloyd, and the startup’s chief executive, Luc Piguet.

The state as customer, ClearSpace as prime contractor

The arrangement is worth a closer look. According to the press release, the UKSA acts as the government customer for the mission: it defines the national requirement and oversees performance. ClearSpace, as prime contractor, is responsible for design, development and delivery. The text sees this as a shift in the way the United Kingdom procures its space capabilities, moving from funding innovation to acting as an institutional customer for space services deemed to be of national importance.

The announcement follows the publication, in September 2026, of the UK Space Strategy, which lists ISAM among four priority sub-sectors to be developed at pace. “Space waste and debris represent an immense and growing challenge,” said Liz Lloyd, quoted by Startupticker.ch, adding that the country is “determined to lead the global effort to clean up space.”

What the contract changes for ClearSpace

For Luc Piguet, co-founder of ClearSpace, the selection marks “an important milestone.” “Taking responsibility for conducting complex in-orbit operations for our customers is exactly where we want to be,” he explained, stressing that UK ADR moves this ambition into operational delivery for a national customer. In his view, the mission joins a portfolio that covers inspection, proximity operations, capture, debris removal and satellite life extension.

In practical terms, ClearSpace UK is expanding its engineering, programme management and industrial capabilities to carry out UK ADR and future in-orbit servicing missions. The British team will draw on the group’s experience in rendezvous and capture technologies and will work with partners in the local supply chain, creating highly specialised jobs, according to the press release. The sources do not detail the Swiss space startup’s previous missions or how the budget is divided among its teams.

Sources

  • Startupticker.ch: “ClearSpace to deliver UK’s first national active debris removal mission”