Astroscale vs Starfish Space: Servicing & tugs compared

November 2026 edition · assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence

Astroscale ranks 7 on the Space 100 with a score of 86; Starfish Space ranks 58 with 72. Astroscale is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, technology and positioning. Level on progress, firepower and leverage. Astroscale is based in Tokyo, Japan, Starfish Space in United States. Astroscale: Public, founded 2013. Starfish Space: Early. Astroscale is named in 36 signals and Starfish Space in 17.

Astroscale →

Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan · Space · Satellites & spacecraft / Servicing & tugs · Public · founded 2013 · astroscale.com

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.

Space 100 · rank 7 · score 86

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment8
Production6
Commercials6
Progress10
Technology10
Positioning10
Firepower8
Leverage8

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

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.

Latest signals

  • Astroscale’s UK subsidiary won a £15 million UK Ministry of Defence contract for Project LEDA.European Spaceflight
  • Astroscale became prime contractor for the UK Ministry of Defence’s LEDA orbital-defense program.Via Satellite
  • Astroscale proposed a fleet of “bodyguard” spacecraft to protect satellites from orbital attacks.Space

36 signals name Astroscale.

Facts, with sources

  • ELSA-M scheduled to launch during fiscal year 2028Payload
  • Astroscale UK signed an agreement with Isar Aerospace to launch the ELSA-M in-orbit demonstration missionPayload
  • ELSA-M launch scheduled for fiscal year 2028 beginning May 2027SpaceNews

129 facts on file.

Starfish Space →

United States · Space · Satellites & spacecraft / Servicing & tugs · Early · starfishspace.com

Starfish Space builds autonomous spacecraft tugs for in-orbit docking, satellite servicing and life extension, flown on U.S. Space Force missions.

Space 100 · rank 58 · score 72

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment5
Production4
Commercials4
Progress10
Technology8
Positioning8
Firepower8
Leverage8

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

Starfish Space is a US satellite-servicing company (ex-Blue Origin founders) with three demonstration missions flown (Otter Pup 1 and 2 RPO, and Remora with Impulse, a December 2025 autonomous approach to ~1,250m with no human in the loop), and its first operational Otters launching in 2026 for SES, NASA, and the US Space Force. It holds the servicing category's contract stack: a $52.5M SDA award (January 2026, the first-ever contracted end-of-life disposal for a LEO constellation), a $54.5M USSF GEO vehicle, and an Intelsat life-extension contract, though it has not yet performed a commercial docking. It raised a $110M Series B (April 2026, Point72-led, >$150M total).

Latest signals

  • Starfish Space to launch debut Otter satellite servicing vehicle on SpaceX Transporter-18 missionVia Satellite
  • Impulse Space, Starfish Space, and HEO collaborated on imaging the Mira rendezvous.Space.com
  • Joanna Hon joined Starfish Space as an engineer.Payload

17 signals name Starfish Space.

Facts, with sources

  • GEO life-extension missions using servicers from SpaceLogistics, Starfish Space and Infinite OrbitsSpaceNews
  • Collaborated with Impulse Space and HEO on imaging the Mira rendezvousSpace.com
  • [object Object]SpaceNews

11 facts on file.

More comparisons

Questions this page answers

Astroscale or Starfish Space: which is ahead in space?

Astroscale ranks 7 on the Space 100 with a score of 86; Starfish Space ranks 58 with 72. Astroscale is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, technology and positioning. Level on progress, firepower and leverage. Astroscale is based in Tokyo, Japan, Starfish Space in United States. Astroscale: Public, founded 2013. Starfish Space: Early. Astroscale is named in 36 signals and Starfish Space in 17.

How do Astroscale and Starfish Space compare?

Astroscale ranks 7 on the Space 100 with a score of 86; Starfish Space ranks 58 with 72. Astroscale is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, technology and positioning. Level on progress, firepower and leverage. Astroscale is based in Tokyo, Japan, Starfish Space in United States. Astroscale: Public, founded 2013. Starfish Space: Early. Astroscale is named in 36 signals and Starfish Space in 17. Both company files carry the scores on eight measures, the facts with sources and the latest signals.

Every comparison here comes from the same files members use every day.

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