Bothell, Wash.-based Portal Space Systems is partnering with an Australian venture called Paladin Space on a commercial service that would round up and dispose of potentially dangerous orbital debris.
The concept — known as Debris Removal as a Service, or DRAAS — is meant to address one of the most pernicious problems facing spacecraft operators: how to dodge tens of thousands of pieces of space junk that are zipping through Earth orbit.
Since its founding in 2021, Portal has been focusing on the development of maneuverable orbital vehicles that could rendezvous with other satellites, either for servicing or for disposal. Its flagship is the Supernova in-space mobility platform, which will be equipped with an innovative solar thermal propulsion system. There’ll also be a smaller version of the spacecraft, called Starburst. Starburst-1 is due for launch as early as this year, and Supernova is scheduled to make its debut in 2027.
Meanwhile, Paladin Space has been working on a reusable payload called Triton, which is designed to track and capture tumbling pieces of orbital debris that are less than 1 meter (3 feet) in size. That small-to-medium size category accounts for most of the debris that’s being tracked in orbit.
“Triton is built to remove dozens of those objects in a single mission, which fundamentally changes the cost structure of debris remediation and provides the greatest benefit to satellite operators,” Paladin CEO Harrison Box said today in a news release.
The Portal-Paladin partnership calls for installing Triton hardware on Starburst spacecraft. Portal’s orbital platform would go out in search of space junk, and Paladin’s payload would grab the debris. When Triton’s trash bin is full, it would be dropped off for safe disposal while the spacecraft remains in orbit for continued servicing.
The companies are targeting an initial deployment in 2027, focusing on heavily trafficked bands of low Earth orbit. Future missions may take advantage of Supernova’s added capabilities to service a wider variety of orbits.
Other efforts to remove orbital debris are in the works: A Japanese company called Astroscale executed two orbital test missions (ELSA-d and ADRAS-J) and is now gearing up for follow-up demonstration missions (COSMIC, ADRAS-J2 and ELSA-M). A Swiss company called ClearSpace is working with the European Space Agency on an experimental mission that would take a defunct satellite out of orbit.
Portal CEO Jeff Thornburg said DRAAS will be much more than a one-off demonstration. “This is about making debris removal operational, not experimental,” he said. “Satellite data underpins communications, navigation, weather forecasting and national security. Maintaining that infrastructure requires active debris management. For the first time, we can do that as a repeatable service.”
Portal has already attracted millions of dollars in financial support from SpaceWERX, a division of the U.S. Space Force that focuses on bridging the gap between commercial technologies and military needs. Its partnership with Paladin targets a different market for in-space services. NASA has estimated that debris avoidance maneuvers cost U.S. satellite operators roughly $58 million annually.
At least one potential customer is going public about its interest. Portal said Starlab Space, a joint venture that is working on a commercial space station, has signed a letter of intent to integrate the DRAAS service into future station operations. Starlab’s team includes Airbus, Voyager Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Mitsubishi and Palantir.
“Safety is the foundation of everything we’re building at Starlab,” said Brad Henderson, Starlab’s chief commercial officer. “We’re engineering a station designed to last for decades, one that must meet the highest standards of integrity to protect our crew and the science that will live aboard. Capabilities that reduce collision risk and limit the need for frequent collision avoidance maneuvers directly serve that mission.”
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