Japanese space technology company Astroscale has officially announced that its UK-based subsidiary has been awarded a £15 million (€17.9 million) Ministry of Defence contract for Project LEDA. While few details about the initiative were shared, an MoD official said it would “form part of the permanent pathway for UK’s understanding of orbital warfare.”
Although the contract award was only officially announced on 28 October, a regulatory filing published on 30 September reveals that the multi-year contract was actually signed on 29 September. The filing explicitly states that details of the services being provided to the UK Ministry of Defence were withheld at the customer’s request.
While the 28 October announcement offered little in the way of additional details about the project, a statement from Rear Admiral Tony Williams, a senior MoD space official, said LEDA would examine how spacecraft “might be employed to counter RPO threats.”
Rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) involve manoeuvring a spacecraft close to other objects in orbit. While the technology has civilian applications, including satellite inspection and debris removal, it can also be used to monitor, threaten or interfere with other spacecraft.
The potential security implications of these capabilities have become particularly pertinent in recent weeks after Russia’s Kosmos 2612 military satellite conducted a series of manoeuvres around ICEYE-X36, a commercial radar imaging satellite operated by Finland’s ICEYE. According to space-tracking company LeoLabs, the Russian spacecraft approached to within approximately 500 metres of the satellite.
During a 9 September UK parliamentary inquiry, written evidence submitted by Astroscale warned that the country risked falling behind in the development of space control capabilities. The company specifically called for additional investment in RPO capabilities to counter uncooperative spacecraft.
“Deterrence is strongest when adversaries understand that hostile actions can be detected, attributed and countered,” wrote Astroscale.
While Astroscale has confirmed that LEDA involves the manufacture, launch and operation of a spacecraft, and Rear Admiral Williams has linked the programme to countering RPO threats, its intended capabilities, mission architecture and launch timetable remain undisclosed.