ELSA-d Debris Docking Demonstrator
Astroscale U.S.
The world's first commercial mission to demonstrate debris docking and removal technologies in LEO, consisting of a 175 kg servicer and 17 kg client satellite. Launched March 2021, ELSA-d successfully validated magnetic capture and RPO before concluding operations in 2024.
Technical specifications
- Launch Date
- March 22, 2021
- Launch Vehicle
- Soyuz (Glavkosmos/GK Launch Services)
- Mission Status
- Mission complete (de-orbit finalized January 24, 2024)
- Servicer Mass
- 175 kg
- Client Satellite Mass
- 17 kg
- Capture Mechanism
- Magnetic docking via Docking Plate
- Key Milestone
- First demonstrated magnetic capture of simulated debris (Aug 25, 2021)
About
ELSA-d (End-of-Life Service by Astroscale – Demonstration) is Astroscale’s pathfinding commercial mission and the world’s first to demonstrate the fundamental technologies required for on-orbit debris docking and removal. The mission comprised two spacecraft: a 175 kg servicer with magnetic capture technology and rendezvous sensors, and a 17 kg client satellite fitted with a first-generation Docking Plate.
Launched March 22, 2021 aboard a Soyuz rocket, the mission demonstrated repeated magnetic capture and release of the client satellite (August 25, 2021), rendezvous from a tumbling client state (May 2022), and controlled re-entry. De-orbit operations were finalized January 24, 2024.
ELSA-d validated autonomous RPO, magnetic docking via the Docking Plate interface, and repeated capture-release-recapture cycles. The technical heritage directly informs ELSA-M design and has established the second-generation Docking Plate as a flight-proven product now available for purchase.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
