Top 19 Orbit Cleanup and Space Debris Removal startups

Updated: Apr 20, 2026
|
These startups are solving the growing problem of space debris, which poses significant risks to both operational satellites and crewed space missions.
1
Firefly Aerospace
Country: USA | Funding: $796.6M
Firefly Aerospace provides launch vehicles, spacecraft, and in-space services for small payloads. Firefly’s on-orbit services include deorbiting services to help minimize space debris. Firefly’s lunar lander is flying annual missions to the Moon with payload services customized to the technology and exploration goals of each customer.
2
Astroscale
Country: Japan | Funding: $443.4M
Astroscale is developing scalable solutions across the spectrum of on-orbit servicing, including life extension, in situ space situational awareness, end-of-life, and active debris removal, to create sustainable space systems
3
Starfish Space
Country: USA | Funding: $174.6M
Starfish Space develops and manufactures autonomous spacecraft that perform satellite servicing missions in orbit. This small, affordable servicing vehicle is capable of extending the lifespan of satellites and disposing them. For example, it can dock with a satellite and use its own fuel to maintain its functionality, perform in-space inspections, relocate satellites into orbit and provide logistics services, repair and upgrade components, perform in-space assembly and manufacturing. The company has developed guidance and control software, binocular computer vision system for navigation, docking device that can be attached to virtually any flat surface.
4
Turion Space
Country: USA | Funding: $127.8M
Turion Space focuses on advancing space sustainability, bridging national security capability gaps, and realigning incentives across the value chain in satellite manufacturing.
5
LeoLabs
Country: USA | Funding: $111M
LeoLabs is an aerospace company that supplies and provides low Earth orbit mapping and space situational awareness services.
6
Portal Space Systems
Country: USA | Funding: $70.5M
Portal Space Systems is a full-service space manoeuvrability solution that delivers tactical response and dynamic space.
7
Look Up Space
Country: France | Funding: €64M
Look Up Space provide space safety and security data & services of unprecedented quality, with a sovereign and secure sensor network.
8
Privateer
Country: USA | Funding: $56.5M
Privateer develops data infrastructure to power sustainable growth for the new space economy.
9
ClearSpace
Country: Switzerland | Funding: $37M
ClearSpace provides services for maintenance and removal of malfunctioning satellites and other space debris from the Earth orbit. The company (in partnership with the European Space Agency) is preparing the ClearSpace-1 mission to demonstrate the ability to remove the inoperative PROBA-1 satellite from low-Earth orbit. For this it's developing the "Claw" grappling system, which includes a robotic arm for the dexterous manipulation and capture of fragile space objects and control algorithms that enable fully autonomous grappling sequences. Another mission, CLEAR (Clearing the LEO Environment with Active Removal), in partnership with the UK Space Agency, aims to remove two UK-registered defunct satellites from low-Earth orbit. The company is also developing its own space service, Geo Life Extension, to extend the life of satellites by restoring their functionality using semi-autonomous spacecraft.
10
EX-Fusion
Country: Japan | Funding: ¥4.9B
EX-Fusion develops the first commercial laser based nuclear fusion reactor for power generation.
Boris Maslennikov
Editor: Boris Maslennikov
Boris Maslennikov is a senior editor for Space-Startups. He has spent more than a decade covering the global space industry as a business journalist. He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science from the California Institute of Technology. In his free time, Boris enjoys studying history and mathematics, with a particular interest in the history of mathematics. You can contact Boris at borismaslenikov(at)space-startups(dot)com