The Japanses company Astroscale Holdings – which specialises in space debris removal – has announced it has closed its Series E round with additional funding of $51 million, bringing the total investment raised to $191 million.

Astroscale raises $191m in funding for space debris removal

This, says the company, makes it the most funded on-orbit services and logistics company globally and most funded space venture in Japan.

“In Astroscale’s seven-and-a-half-year history, we have seen a growing awareness of the debris issue and the recognition that protecting space technologies is essential for improving our daily lives and helping to ensure sustainability on Earth,” said Nobu Okada, Founder & CEO. “Our multiple funding rounds are a testament to the power of Astroscale’s vision of space sustainability, and this latest series will allow us to continue developing the technologies that will lead the debris removal and on-orbit servicing market.”

The additional $51m of funding came from a group of investors led by aSTART.

“Space debris is a serious issue that has the potential to affect our daily lives, the global economy and environmental sustainability,” said Kazumasa Watanabe, CEO of aSTART. “Astroscale is not only leading the market with its unrivaled technology, but is also making a global impact by contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This combination of technology advancement and societal benefit is why aSTART has invested in Astroscale since Series C. We will continue to support Astroscale in developing new on-orbit servicing capabilities which will benefit humankind.”

According to the company, Astroscale Japan is on schedule to ship its End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) mission, which it describes as the world’s first demonstration of commercial orbital debris removal.

Astroscale UK, it also says, is leading the development of the In-Orbit Servicing Control Centre – National Facility, which will form the basis for satellite servicing mission operations.