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Deployment

ELSA-d at Low Earth Orbit

Servicer+client debris-removal demonstrator (175 kg servicer) testing autonomous rendezvous and magnetic capture.

ELSA-d by Astroscale · Catalog entry · 2 sources · not yet field-verified · Space

Track ELSA-d at Low Earth Orbit

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ELSA-d is a debris removal demonstration mission in low Earth orbit operated by Astroscale. The mission conducted a close approach despite experiencing thruster issues during operations.

Key facts

Outcome
Tested autonomous rendezvous + magnetic capture (debris-removal demo). The autonomous capture attempt was ABORTED after an anomaly (magnetic docking validated MANUALLY); lost 4/8 thrusters; deorbited 2024-01-24 (demonstrated, qualified - do NOT describe as a clean autonomous capture)

Exposure

Customer segment
research
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 ELSA-d 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
ELSA-d
Company
Astroscale
Location
Low Earth Orbit
Operator
Astroscale
Status
ended
Operator type
maker operated
Scale at site
undisclosed
Site environment
mixed
Location precision
verified coordinates
First seen
2021-03-22
ID
c3a16cb1-949d-45eb-b09c-632c73406e7c

Timeline

  1. Mar 2021
    First recorded
    ELSA-d first documented operating at Low Earth Orbit.
  2. Mar 2021
    created
  3. Aug 2026
    Current status: ended, reviewed
    Latest recorded state. New status transitions append here as the deployment-status recorder produces them.

On the deployment map

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ELSA-d operates in Low Earth Orbit. Explore the full verified map:

Sources (2)

  1. https://spacenews.com/astroscale-debris-removal-demo-makes-close-approach-despite-thruster-issues/
  2. https://www.astroscale.com/en/missions/elsa-d
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Lifecycle: superseded

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 ELSA-d at Low Earth Orbit.

Common questions

What is the ELSA-d deployment at Low Earth Orbit?
ELSA-d, built by Astroscale, is recorded as a deployment at Low Earth Orbit on the DEPLOY registry. Astroscale operates the deployment directly.
Who operates ELSA-d at Low Earth Orbit?
Astroscale, the manufacturer of ELSA-d, operates this deployment directly. This is a maker-deploys-its-own-product arrangement rather than a customer pilot.
When did the ELSA-d deployment at Low Earth Orbit go live?
The deployment is recorded as starting March 22, 2021 on the DEPLOY registry. Earlier activity may exist but is not yet sourced.
Is the ELSA-d 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 ELSA-d 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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