States » SouthPosted at: Nov 5 2026 7:52PM


Cosmoserve Space targets commercial debris removal operations by early 2028: CEO

Hyderabad, Nov 5 (UNI) Hyderabad-based space technology startup Cosmoserve Space plans to commence commercial space debris removal operations by early 2028 after completing a series of technology demonstration missions over the next year, its founder and CEO Dr Chiranjeevi said on Thursday.
Talking to reporters after the inauguration of Base 1, India's first private integrated space debris removal facility, here, he said the company had raised a total of USD 9 million through pre-seed and seed funding rounds to develop its robotic spacecraft and space debris removal technologies.
The company, which commenced operations in August 2025, raised USD 3.17 million in its pre-seed round in September 2025 and another USD 6 million in a seed round in 2026, he said.
The company currently has 25 employees and plans to expand its workforce to 50 in the next three months, he added.
With the pre-seed funding, the company conducted its first in-space technology demonstration aboard the maiden flight of Vikram-1 on July 18, collecting valuable data. It plans to undertake multiple missions over the next year to validate its technology and operational architecture, he said.
Explaining the technology, Dr Chiranjeevi, a former ISRO scientist and Deputy Project Director of the Gaganyaan mission, said the company was developing robotic spacecraft capable of capturing defunct satellites and bringing them down from their orbits for destruction through atmospheric re-entry.
The robotic spacecraft would be reusable and move on to capture other debris objects, depending on the fuel available. The company was also developing a larger mother spacecraft that would function as an in-orbit refuelling depot to replenish smaller robotic spacecraft and extend their operational capabilities.
Identifying the capture of tumbling satellites as one of the major technological challenges, he said flexible robotic arms were being developed to reduce the rotation of such objects before capturing them.
Space debris travels at speeds of around 7.5 km per second, or 28,000 km per hour. The servicing spacecraft would have to match the target's velocity and bring the relative speed between the two objects almost to zero before attempting capture, he explained.
Around 50,000 objects measuring more than 10 cm are currently in orbit, of which only about 16,000 are operational satellites, while the remaining three-fourths constitute space debris, he said.
The company's initial focus would be on debris measuring above 10 cm and weighing up to 500 kg, which could be handled using its existing robotic technology. Larger objects, including rocket bodies, would require scaling up the technology, he added.
Dr Chiranjeevi said emerging regulations requiring satellite operators to remove defunct satellites were creating a commercial market for debris removal services. While such requirements were evolving in the US, India had also announced its Debris Free Space Mission, envisaging implementation from 2030.
The company would undertake debris removal only under contractual agreements with satellite owners. Its future plans also included in-orbit servicing activities such as satellite repair, refuelling and orbital repositioning, he said.
The next mission would involve an upgraded version of its Embrace technology demonstration, expected to be undertaken in the next couple of months. The company had partnered with Sparrow for launch services, Pixxel for the satellite bus and the Netherlands-based Dawn Aerospace for propulsion systems, he added.
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Tags: #Cosmoserve Space targets commercial debris removal operations by early 2028: CEO
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