The UK MoD has tapped Astroscale to be prime contractor for LEDA, a new defence program that builds on the company’s experience developing capabilities to understand, protect and operate in space. BAE Systems and Open Cosmos will support as key partners on the program. The contract is worth 15 million pounds ($20 million) and was announced on Oct. 26.
The announcement was light on specifics of the mission, but said the contract will build on Astroscale’s previous demonstrations to to approach, inspect and work alongside other objects in orbit from the ELSA-d and ADRAS-J missions.
The investment is underpinned by the U.K.’s Defence Investment Plan which has allocated 3.2 billion pounds ($4.3 billion) for space through 2030. The recently published UK Space Strategy identifies defence and national security as a central priority, with a focus on protecting critical space infrastructure and building a more resilient space sector.
“Control of space is not about seeking conflict in space, it is about demonstrating that we can protect the capabilities upon which our economy, our society, and our armed forces depend. Project LEDA, under the manufacture, launch, and operation of Astroscale UK, will form part of the permanent pathway for UK’s understanding of orbital warfare and how such spacecraft operate and how they might be employed to counter RPO threats. Collectively, these new capabilities will help defend UK space interests, safeguard critical space services, and generate operational advantage for the integrated force,” Tony Williams, head of Space Capability, UK Space Command, said in a statement.
