Space lands on the Stock Exchange with Astroscale’s IPO

The Rise of Astroscale in the Space Industry

Japanese startup Astroscale made headlines recently as it was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on June 5th.
The company’s stock quickly sold out, starting the trading day at 850 yen ($5.44) and ending at 1,375 yen ($8.81).

Space Technology Innovation

Astroscale is among the companies dedicated to tackling the issue of space debris in orbit.
It stands out as one of the few that has actually launched a demonstrative satellite.
Between late 2021 and early 2022, Astroscale deployed its first proof-of-concept satellite.
In 2023, the company was even selected by NASA to bid for the mission of moving the Hubble telescope to a new orbit.

With offices in France, Israel, the UK, and the US, Astroscale actively collaborates with space agencies such as JAXA, the UK Space Agency, and ESA.
The company is engaged in projects funded by these agencies to demonstrate and enhance satellite removal technology.
This year, Astroscale plans to remove a recently launched test object and a commercial telecommunications satellite from OneWeb in 2025.

Resurging Space Economy

Astroscale’s IPO follows Ispace, another lunar infrastructure company, which went public in April.
The space industry at large is seeing a revival, with private companies that weather the inevitable failures (“Space is hard” is a common industry saying for a reason) starting to achieve significant milestones.

Potential Challenges Ahead

Despite investor interest, some skeptics point out the high costs and feasibility concerns of satellite removal missions.
Launching a satellite into space to capture and deorbit others may seem costly, although the volume of space debris in orbit might justify such operations.

Moreover, there is increasing evidence that satellites disintegrating in the atmosphere release metals into the upper atmosphere.
The effects of these metals on the atmosphere remain largely unknown.

For more information, you can check the original article on Money.it.