Astroscale UK wins £15M MoD 'orbital warfare' contract as Europe funds in-space defence
Tokyo-listed Astroscale says its UK unit won a £15M multi-year Ministry of Defence contract to lead Project LEDA, part of a wider European push into in-orbit defence.
Astroscale's UK subsidiary has been named prime contractor for Project LEDA, a new UK Ministry of Defence programme, under a £15 million (about €18 million) multi-year contract. UKspace published the company's announcement in late October 2026. Tokyo-listed parent Astroscale Holdings (TSE: 186A) had already disclosed the award in a regulatory filing, which says the contract was signed on 29 September 2026.
What happened
- The contract: £15 million excluding tax (¥3.12 billion at the filing's exchange rate), running over several years (confirmed, Astroscale filing). At the customer's request, the service itself is not disclosed.
- The programme: LEDA covers building, launching and operating spacecraft. A UK Space Command official said it will help the UK understand "orbital warfare" and how such spacecraft "might be employed to counter RPO threats", meaning rendezvous and proximity operations near other satellites. BAE Systems and Open Cosmos are key partners (confirmed, Astroscale/UKspace).
- Heritage: Astroscale's ELSA-d mission showed magnetic capture of a client spacecraft in 2021. Its ADRAS-J mission (pictured) inspected a non-cooperative rocket body from less than 15 m in 2024.
- Budget context: The UK Defence Investment Plan sets aside £3.2 billion for space through 2030 (confirmed, UKspace).
- Wider European push: In the same week, Payload reports, the European Defence Fund picked French startup OSMOS X to lead a study on responding to threats in orbit, and UK startup Shield Space formed a coalition to pitch a space-based "carrier-strike" platform to the MoD. Payload links the timing to a Russian satellite's close approach to an ICEYE radar satellite this month, which we covered in our Orbital Operations story.
Why it matters for space investors
For Astroscale, the filing says the contract was not in its forecast for the fiscal year ending April 2027. Revenue will be booked over several years, and the company is reviewing the impact on its guidance. The broader signal is that European governments are starting to pay for in-orbit security, not only satellites that watch and relay. That could become a new market for companies that can manoeuvre close to other satellites, and it adds to defence demand for European primes such as Airbus and OHB.
Not financial advice.
Sources
- UKspace: Astroscale awarded £15m MOD contract as UK Government strengthens focus on resilience in space
- Astroscale Holdings: Notice regarding contract award for a new defense program at our UK subsidiary (TSE filing)
- Payload: Europe begins funding offensive in-space capabilities (30 Oct 2026)
- European Spaceflight: UK MOD awards £15 million orbital warfare project to Astroscale
