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Deployment

ADRAS-J at Low Earth Orbit

Inspection demonstrator that performed the world's first RPO approach to a real, uncontrolled large debris object (a Japanese H-2A rocket upper stage).

ADRAS-J by Astroscale · Catalog entry · 2 sources · not yet field-verified · Space

Track ADRAS-J at Low Earth Orbit

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ADRAS-J performed the world's first rendezvous and proximity operations approach to an uncontrolled large debris object, a Japanese H-2A rocket body, reaching a closest approach of approximately 15 m on 2024-11-30 for inspection only, without capture. The closest pass reportedly triggered an autonomous safety abort due to an attitude anomaly, though Astroscale declared the mission a success, and deorbit began on 2026-03-25.

Key facts

Outcome
World's first RPO approach to a real, uncontrolled large debris object (a Japanese H-2A rocket body); closest approach ~15 m (2024-11-30); INSPECTION ONLY, did NOT capture. The closest pass triggered an autonomous safety abort (attitude anomaly) per reporting; Astroscale declared the mission a success; deorbit begun 2026-03-25

Exposure

Customer segment
logistics
Scale tier
undisclosed

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

Safety record

No incidents on record for ADRAS-J at Low Earth Orbit.

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

Trust tier
Catalog entry · 2 sources · not yet field-verifiedhow tiers work →
Last updated
2026-08-21
Model
ADRAS-J
Company
Astroscale
Location
Low Earth Orbit
Operator
Astroscale
Status
ended
Operator type
maker operated
Scale at site
undisclosed
Site environment
outdoor
Location precision
verified coordinates
First seen
2024-02-18
ID
b459efef-6cda-4a78-9e9d-724fe6591766

Timeline

  1. Feb 2024
    First recorded
    ADRAS-J first documented operating at Low Earth Orbit.
  2. Feb 2024
    created
  3. Aug 2026
    Current status: ended, reviewed
    Latest recorded state. New status transitions append here as the deployment-status recorder produces them.

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ADRAS-J operates in Low Earth Orbit. Explore the full verified map:

Sources (2)

  1. https://www.space.com/astroscale-adras-j-space-junk-rendezvous-mission-photo
  2. https://www.astroscale.com/en/missions/adras-j
Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-21

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-08-21

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: pilot

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: space

Sources by quality tier

2
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for ADRAS-J at Low Earth Orbit.

Common questions

What is the ADRAS-J deployment at Low Earth Orbit?
ADRAS-J, built by Astroscale, is recorded as a deployment at Low Earth Orbit on the DEPLOY registry. Astroscale operates the deployment directly.
Who operates ADRAS-J at Low Earth Orbit?
Astroscale, the manufacturer of ADRAS-J, operates this deployment directly. This is a maker-deploys-its-own-product arrangement rather than a customer pilot.
When did the ADRAS-J deployment at Low Earth Orbit go live?
The deployment is recorded as starting February 18, 2024 on the DEPLOY registry. Earlier activity may exist but is not yet sourced.
Is the ADRAS-J deployment at Low Earth Orbit still active?
As of the most recent verification on the DEPLOY registry, this deployment is no longer operating at this location.
Have there been incidents at the ADRAS-J deployment at Low Earth Orbit?
No active incidents affecting this deployment are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Absence of recorded incidents is not a guarantee no incident occurred; DEPLOY records only sourced incidents and suppresses retracted ones.

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