Built For the Hard Problems
Debris removal is not a single-solution problem. Objects in orbit range from decommissioned 8-ton rocket bodies to sub-centimeter paint flakes traveling at 7.5 km/s. Cooperative satellites with functioning transponders require very different handling than unresponsive, tumbling wreckage. We are building a stack that covers the full threat matrix.
Our technology portfolio is organized into seven pillars, each addressing a distinct class of the orbital debris challenge. They are designed to be modular — individual systems can be deployed as standalone missions or combined into a full-service orbital servicing vehicle.
System Architecture
RPODU Platform
Our flagship Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, Docking & Undocking system handles both cooperative and non-cooperative targets. A sensor fusion pipeline blends LiDAR, stereo vision, and IMU data into a real-time 6-DOF relative state estimate that feeds the autonomous GNC controller. The compliant soft-capture docking adapter uses a universal geometry compatible with legacy apogee kick motors — no transponder required.
AI Navigation Stack
Every GNC loop in the Space Waste architecture is AI-augmented. Deep reinforcement learning agents trained in high-fidelity orbital simulations generate fuel-optimal rendezvous trajectories in real time, adapting to target tumble rates and anomalies. A transformer-based pose estimation pipeline extracts 6-DOF target state from monocular and stereo imagery under the extreme lighting conditions of LEO.
Net Capture System
For large, tumbling, non-cooperative targets — dead satellites, expended upper stages, fragmented hardware — proximity docking is infeasible. Our deployable net launches from 50–150 m standoff, wraps the target in high-tensile UHMWPE mesh, and uses the tether to damp tumble before controlled tow-to-graveyard or active deorbit. Cold-gas ejection propels the net; the tether is available in conductive and non-conductive variants.
Directed Energy & Lasers
Sub-10 cm fragments are too small to track reliably and too numerous to capture physically. A high-power pulsed laser imparts ablative momentum on debris surfaces, nudging objects onto decaying orbits without physical contact. Operational ranges extend to several kilometers; the system can process hundreds of objects per pass. We are evaluating ground-based vs. orbital deployment architectures and modeling laser-matter interactions for common debris materials.
Satellite Servicing
A satellite running out of propellant should not become debris. Our servicing architecture supports robotic refueling, momentum wheel replacement, solar array inspection, and orbital adjustment — extending asset life by years or decades. The RPODU platform provides the primary interface; modular service arms handle mechanical tasks. We target GEO comms satellites, LEO constellations, and government platforms via OSAM-1, MEV/MRV, and custom legacy interfaces.
Orbital Resource Recovery
Every dead satellite is a stranded ore body: aerospace-grade aluminum and titanium, gold-plated electronics, and rare-earth magnets — material that cost $10,000+/kg to put there. DARPA's RPOD program has already demonstrated the terrestrial half of this equation, recovering up to seven critical elements from e-waste at the point of disposal using compact electrochemical methods. We are studying the orbital equivalent: processing captured debris into usable feedstock instead of burning valuable refined mass in the atmosphere. The launch-cost math makes recycled mass in orbit worth more than its weight on Earth.
Dual-Use Framework
Autonomous rendezvous, non-cooperative capture, and precision proximity operations are inherently dual-use capabilities. Space Waste engineers ITAR compliance in from day one — not as an afterthought. Parallel commercial and defense development tracks let us serve open-market operators and cleared government customers simultaneously, with full architecture visibility for appropriate stakeholders.
From Lab to Orbit
Near-term focus: TRL 4–5 across RPODU and AI navigation via hardware-in-the-loop testing and parabolic flight campaigns. An in-orbit demonstration mission is targeted within 24–36 months to validate simulation predictions against real on-orbit data. Commercial servicing and ADR contracts are the 48-month horizon. We are actively seeking strategic partners, government customers, and investors who share the urgency of the orbital debris problem.
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