The race to deorbit old satellites is heating up, with the Space Force and its contractors leading the charge. The Space Development Agency (SDA) and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) have signed deals with three companies to advance the Deorbit-as-a-Service project: Firefly Aerospace, Katalyst Space, and D-Orbit. This marks a significant shift in how we manage our space debris problem.
Historically, satellite operators would simply leave their spacecraft in "graveyard orbits" once they were no longer useful, allowing Earth's gravity to eventually draw them into the atmosphere, a process known as orbital decay. However, with the proliferation of satellite constellations, this approach is no longer sustainable. The growing number of satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) has led to concerns about collisions and the long-term presence of debris in orbit, which can circle the globe at 14,000 miles per hour.
Deorbiting services offer a solution to this problem. These services would grapple or dock with a satellite when its service life is over, pulling it down into a lower orbit where it would rapidly descend and burn up in the atmosphere. The deorbiter would then return to a higher orbit and seek out its next target. This approach is more efficient and safer than leaving satellites in orbit indefinitely.
The SDA has been exploring this topic for several years, recognizing the need to refresh its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, which includes around 450 satellites in LEO. In 2024, the agency tapped six companies for feasibility studies, and in January 2026, it signed a $52.5 million proof-of-concept deal with Starfish Space. This deal marked a significant milestone in the development of deorbiting services.
The recent contracts with Firefly, Katalyst, and D-Orbit represent a new phase in the effort. These companies were not involved in previous deorbiting awards, indicating a growing interest in the market. The Pentagon's approach to the deorbiting mission as a service it will buy, rather than execute on its own, is a strategic move that provides the government with flexible, on-demand access to orbital logistics without the cost and schedule of owning and operating the mission spacecraft.
Firefly's contract will fund a preliminary design review for its Elytra spacecraft, which is capable of other missions and has the necessary high-thrust maneuverability, ample fuel reserves, and payload capacity for deorbiting work. Katalyst, currently conducting a satellite servicing mission for NASA, aims to boost the orbit of a NASA observatory to extend its service life. D-Orbit, partnering with TransAstra and Falcon Exodynamics, will demonstrate LEO logistics as a managed service for the U.S. government, potentially opening the door to other logistics support services.
As these companies proceed through preliminary designs and risk-reduction activities, the SDA and DIU will select one for a full on-orbit demonstration. This marks a crucial step in the development of deorbiting services, bringing us closer to a sustainable and safe approach to managing our space debris problem.
