ELSA-d is made by Astroscale, based in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 2013.

Where is ELSA-d deployed?

1 verified deployment of ELSA-d is on the DEPLOY registry, including at Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

What is ELSA-d's maturity stage?

ELSA-d is at the pilot stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Pilot stage means at least one named-customer trial deployment is verified.

Is ELSA-d still being made?

ELSA-d has been superseded by a newer generation. The historical record remains on the registry for reference.

Robot model

ELSA-d

Name: ELSA-d
Brand: Astroscale

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

ELSA-d is a space robot built by Astroscale. · Documented in 1 deployment in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

supersededSuperseded by a newer generation. The historical entry remains for reference; current coverage tracks the successor.

Track ELSA-dEmail on verified state changes. Cap-flags flow through.

Machine-readable surfaces

Markdown mirror: /models/astroscale-elsa-d.md
JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
REST API: /v1/models/a849db2b-3190-4914-90e7-7090453e9683
Revision history: /models/astroscale-elsa-d/history
Data documentation: /data
Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP

Form factor: space
Maturity stage: pilot
Lifecycle: superseded
Deployments: 1
ID: a849db2b-3190-4914-90e7-7090453e9683

Deploy Watch

Track ELSA-d on Deploy.

We notify you when pricing, deployment status, or regulatory state changes against primary-source evidence, not when the maker issues claims.

Specs

role: active debris removal
autonomy: autonomous rendezvous + magnetic capture (demo)

Recent deployments (1)

ELSA-d at Low Earth Orbit (LEO)Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Manufacturer-attributed media (1)

Manufacturer-supplied media at the model level. Not tied to an independently verified named-site deployment. Verification posture is product-showcase from the maker, distinct from the deployment-verified evidence in the section above.

PRIMARY SOURCE

Courtesy of Astroscale

Astroscale's concept-of-operations explainer (an animation) for its ELSA-d debris-removal demonstration, which used a magnetic capture system. In the actual 2021 demo, a thruster anomaly led to the planned final autonomous capture being aborted, a partial result, not a clean success. This is an explainer animation, not live capture footage; autonomy attributed to Astroscale.

Sources (1)

https://www.astroscale.com/en/news/astroscales-elsa-d-finalizes-de-orbit-operations-marking-successful-mission-conclusion

Common questions

What is ELSA-d?: Servicer+client debris-removal demonstrator (175 kg servicer) testing autonomous rendezvous and magnetic capture.
Who makes ELSA-d?: ELSA-d is made by Astroscale, based in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 2013.
Where is ELSA-d deployed?: 1 verified deployment of ELSA-d is on the DEPLOY registry, including at Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
What is ELSA-d's maturity stage?: ELSA-d is at the pilot stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Pilot stage means at least one named-customer trial deployment is verified.
Is ELSA-d still being made?: ELSA-d has been superseded by a newer generation. The historical record remains on the registry for reference.

Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-06-05

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-06-05

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: pilot

Lifecycle: superseded

Architectural position

Cohort: space

Sources by quality tier

1: unclassified; Unclassified source

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