Supporting Astroscale UK’s mission to clean up space

Astroscale UK, an in-orbit servicing company often described as the “AA of space”, established its UK operations in 2017. Its arrival at Harwell followed the UK becoming the first country in the world to license an in-orbit debris removal mission – Astroscale’s ELSA-d demonstration mission.

The company’s UK journey began in a small serviced office here at Harwell Innovation Centre, allowing the team to embed itself within the Harwell Campus ecosystem from day one. As the business grew, so did its space requirements.

By 2019, Astroscale’s UK team had grown to 32 employees and required a scalable, collaborative workspace that would support further expansion. We were able to accommodate the full team in a single open-plan office, enabling Astroscale to remain on campus while creating an environment designed to foster collaboration.

During this period, we provided flexible office space, professional front-of-house services and access to networking opportunities – support that proved particularly valuable for a pre-revenue company in growth mode. Sharon Parker-Lines, who was Centre Manager at the time, worked closely with the team before joining Astroscale UK in 2020.

In 2022, following significant growth, Astroscale graduated from Harwell Innovation Centre and moved into a 20,000 sq ft purpose-built facility elsewhere on the Harwell Campus, where satellites can now be built on site. Today, the UK team employs almost 250 people, contributing to a global workforce of around 750.

“From strategic guidance to day-to-day logistics, Harwell Innovation Centre provided Astroscale with the flexibility and support we needed in those early days,” said Sharon Parker-Lines, now Deputy Managing Director of Astroscale UK.

“Even when we were moving out of the innovation centre, we were able to lean on the knowledge of the centre team. They helped us with logistics, provided checklists and contacts, and even allowed us to stay longer when our new building wasn’t quite ready.”

We continue to maintain a close relationship with Astroscale, and the company still uses Harwell Innovation Centre as overspill space for projects when required.

“We still use Harwell Innovation Centre when we need additional space,” Sharon added. “The team always go out of their way to help, and we see them as an integral part of our growth journey.”

Looking ahead, Astroscale UK expects to double its workforce over the next two to three years. Its success highlights the important role that innovation centres play in enabling science and technology companies to scale while remaining embedded within a collaborative research and innovation ecosystem.

Astroscale founder and CEO Nobu Okada with staff at the new Astroscale offices at Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire.
Photograph By: Sean Dillow.
www.TheBigCheesePhotography.co.uk

Astroscale’s work focuses on developing technologies that dock with defunct satellites and safely de-orbit them. Its expertise in Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) is helping to build sovereign capabilities in satellite servicing and space situational awareness.

“We’re like the AA in space,” Sharon said. “We dock with satellites to service them, remove debris, and ultimately help keep space safe and secure. It’s groundbreaking work, and the culture we’ve built is just as inspiring.”

Recent milestones for Astroscale include the UK government-funded ELSA-M mission for satellite de-orbiting and the Orpheus Mission — a £5.15 million defence contract awarded by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), in partnership with Open Cosmos, to enhance space weather monitoring and situational awareness.

Find out more about joining Harwell Innovation Centre 
Discover flexible workspace and a supportive environment for science and technology businesses on Harwell Campus. Flexible Workspaces | Harwell Innovation Centre