In a strategic move aimed at tackling space sustainability, Dawn Aerospace and Cosmoserve Space have formalized a partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The collaboration focuses on combining their expertise to advance in-space servicing, specifically by merging refuelling capabilities with active debris removal.
The alliance centres on integrating Dawn Aerospace’s refuellable propulsion technology and its ‘Loop’ in-space refuelling service with Cosmoserve Space’s specialised platforms for capturing and deorbiting space debris. The shared goal is to create more sustainable, enduring, and scalable solutions for the growing in-space servicing market.
“Transitioning satellites away from toxic, single-use propulsion was our initial contribution to sustainability,” explained Jeroen Wink, Co-founder and CRO of Dawn Aerospace. “The next critical leap is in-orbit refuelling. Partnering with Cosmoserve is a pivotal step toward a circular space economy, where vehicles can be refuelled and reused rather than decommissioned, dramatically reducing future waste.”
Active debris removal missions are particularly demanding, requiring extended mission life and high delta-V for precise rendezvous and deorbit maneuvers. The partnership directly addresses these challenges. By utilizing refuellable propulsion systems, debris removal spacecraft could significantly extend their operational lifespan, potentially capturing multiple pieces of debris on a single mission before returning to a depot for refuelling.
Chiranjeevi Phanindra, Founder and CEO of Cosmoserve Space, highlighted the natural synergy: “Dawn’s propulsion solutions are a perfect technical fit for our mission architecture. We envision employing their systems within our planned in-space servicing depot, or ‘Mothercraft,’ to enable more cost-effective and sustained debris removal campaigns. This is essential for preserving the orbital environment.”
The newly signed MoU will see both companies undertaking a joint investigation phase. Key focus areas include analysing technical interfaces between their respective systems, identifying operational synergies, and scoping out potential future demonstration missions. The partnership underscores a shift in the industry’s approach, prioritising longevity and reusability as foundational principles for a cleaner and more viable space ecosystem for generations to come.
