UK backs £60 million mission to remove defunct satellites from orbit

The UK government has announced support for a spacecraft mission designed to remove two defunct satellites from orbit by 2032.

The programme, backed with more than £60 million, is intended to address space debris that can threaten active satellites and the services they support, including navigation, weather forecasting and communications. The government says the mission will use robotic capture technology and will build on UK capability in satellite servicing, repair and removal.

The announcement frames orbital clean-up as both a safety issue and an industrial opportunity. The project remains a long-term technical undertaking, and its success will depend on spacecraft development, mission approvals and the safe completion of the two planned removals.

Officials say the work will contribute to a safer operating environment for future missions.