{"title":"Astroscale vs D-Orbit: Servicing & tugs compared","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/compare/astroscale-vs-d-orbit","comparison":"Astroscale ranks 7 on the Space 100 with a score of 86; D-Orbit ranks 50 with 74. Astroscale is ahead on technology, positioning, firepower and leverage. Level on deployment, production, commercials and progress. Astroscale is based in Tokyo, Japan, D-Orbit in Fino Mornasco, Italy. Astroscale: Public, founded 2013. Astroscale is named in 36 signals and D-Orbit in 3.","companies":[{"name":"Astroscale","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/companies/astroscale","city":"Tokyo","country":"Japan","stage":"Public","founded":2013,"last_round":null,"positioning":"Astroscale is a Japanese on-orbit-servicing leader (TSE:186A) whose ADRAS-J completed the world-first commercial mission to approach and image large debris at close range, with ELSA-M and ADRAS-J2 (capture and removal) following, on FY26 project income of JPY 11.5B ($71.1M, +89%) and a narrowing operating loss. It is converting to defense demand: a second Japanese MoD gripping-mechanism contract (JPY 999M, January 2026), a JAXA GEO-refueling selection, a UK military tracking-cubesat milestone, and a US Space Force refueling demo in the pipeline. Analysts see profitability around 2029.","assessed_in":{"domain":"Space","list":"Space 100","rank":7,"score":86,"tier":"member","scores":{"leverage":8,"position":10,"progress":10,"firepower":8,"commercial":6,"deployment":8,"production":6,"technology":10},"why":"Astroscale develops and operates missions to inspect, capture, remove and deorbit orbital debris, including ADRAS-J2's planned removal of a large H-IIA rocket upper stage.","segment":"Servicing & tugs","layer":"Satellites & spacecraft"},"signals_total":36,"facts_total":129},{"name":"D-Orbit","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/companies/d-orbit","city":"Fino Mornasco","country":"Italy","stage":null,"founded":null,"last_round":null,"positioning":"D-Orbit is an Italian in-space-logistics company whose ION Satellite Carrier is the most-flown commercial orbital transfer vehicle line (multi-mission heritage since 2020, for last-mile deployment and hosted payloads), used by Starfish's Otter Pup as a rendezvous partner twice. It is the EU last-mile logistics incumbent, though its 2026 evidence is partner-side (Starfish, Leaf Space) rather than company releases, with Marubeni among backers. Revenue is estimated at 10-100m (a dedicated financial pass owed).","assessed_in":{"domain":"Space","list":"Space 100","rank":50,"score":74,"tier":"member","scores":{"gate_ne":["firepower"],"leverage":6,"position":8,"progress":10,"firepower":6,"commercial":6,"deployment":8,"production":6,"technology":8},"why":"D-Orbit operates the ION Satellite Carrier, providing in-space transportation, satellite deployment, hosted payloads and orbital logistics services.","segment":"Servicing & tugs","layer":"Satellites & spacecraft"},"signals_total":3,"facts_total":21}],"note":"Assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence; facts and signals carry their sources."}