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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