ClearSpace

Explainers

Plain-language answers to the questions people ask about ClearSpace, from DEPLOY’s explainer library. Each is written in the language of the question and cross-checked against this registry.

• What is ClearSpace?

  ClearSpace is a Swiss commercial active debris removal startup. The ClearSpace-1 mission, developed under ESA contract, is designed to capture and de-orbit a Vega rocket adapter (VESPA) currently in orbit. ClearSpace-1 is pre-flight as of mid-2026; the mission outcome is pending.

• How does DEPLOY apply verified-vs-claimed discipline to autonomous space missions?

  Space is the ultimate hype sector: dramatic claims, high stakes, and a public that wants to believe. DEPLOY's verified-vs-claimed discipline reads every mission outcome against primary-source telemetry, customer-of-record acceptance, and published mission records, not maker press releases, to produce an honest capability map. The framework distinguishes full success from tipped, failed from never-attempted, and demonstrated from pre-flight, treating precision as editorial substance.

Current leadership (1)

• Luc Piguet Co-founder and CEOsince 2018-01-01secondary-verified

Founders (1)

• Luc Piguetcofounderfounded 2018-01-01

Safety record

No incidents on record for ClearSpace.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Peer companies

• Impulse Space6 models
• Astrobotic Technology3 models
• China National Space Administration3 models
• Astroscale2 models
• China Manned Space Agency2 models
• GITAI2 models

Financial state

Reporting basis

aggregator_estimate

Lifecycle stage

growth

Counterparty risk class

moderate

Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.

Funding rounds (1)

• Series A2023-01-19

  $29M(reported)

  Investors: OTB Ventures (lead), Swisscom Ventures (lead), Lakestar, In-Q-Tel

Recent activity

Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.

• Verified media added✓VerifiedJun 7, 2026

  Space Debris

• Record createdJun 5, 2026

  Added to the verified registry

Full change history →

Sources (1)

1. https://clearspace.today/ ↗

Common questions

What is ClearSpace?

ClearSpace is a Swiss space debris removal company based in Renens, commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the world's first active debris removal mission, ClearSpace-1. The mission will use an experimental four-armed robot to capture and deorbit debris, targeting the PROBA-1 satellite. ESA signed an EUR86M ($104M) contract with ClearSpace, with launch aboard a Vega-C flight scheduled for the second half of 2026.

What does ClearSpace make?

ClearSpace has 1 robot model on the DEPLOY registry: ClearSpace-1 (ClearSpace builds physical robots).

Who competes with ClearSpace?

On the DEPLOY registry, peer companies to ClearSpace building in the same form factors include Impulse Space, Astrobotic Technology, China National Space Administration, Astroscale.

Who is the CEO of ClearSpace?

Luc Piguet is the ceo of ClearSpace, per the DEPLOY registry.

Where is ClearSpace headquartered?

ClearSpace is headquartered in Renens, Switzerland.