2024 in Review: Growth, Celebration, and Recognition

The word of the year: ✨ growth. Between adding new experts to our in-house team, developing our refueler prototype for the U.S. Space Force, and celebrating our 5th birthday, a lot has happened in 2024. Let’s catch up on the latest.

Pioneering What’s Possible: APS-R for the U.S. Space Force

Following the contract we’ve been awarded to design and deliver an in-space satellite refueler for the United States Space Force (USSF), we’ve since debuted APS-R (Astroscale Prototype Servicer for Refueling). This revolutionary servicer unlocks new levels of responsiveness, flexibility, and mission capability for the U.S. Space Force -- empowering them to navigate the complex space domain with agility and efficiency. APS-R is on track to be launch-ready by 2026.

Read more about the award, APS-R, and how it will advance Space Mobility and Logistics for the USSF.

Concept of Operations for the Astroscale Prototype Servicer for Refueling (APS-R).

It Takes a Village: Celebrating the Growth of Astroscale U.S.

Astroscale U.S. is nearing 100 employees! We’ve added valuable new teammates across the company, spanning Marketing to Engineering, as well as within our leadership team.

An Expanding Policy Team

Our growing Policy team is poised to make an impact in 2025. Janna Lewis, our new Senior Vice President of Policy and General Counsel, joined us in May. After serving as Senior Corporate Counsel for BAE Systems, Inc, Janna is now hard at work guiding Astroscale U.S. in the areas of corporate law and governance, contracts, and more.

Tahara Dawkins joined the team as Director of Policy in December. With 25 years of experience, she most recently served as Chief of Staff of the National Space Council at the White House under the Biden-Harris administration.

Unveiling Our New Board of Directors

Speaking of guidance, we officially announced our new Board of Directors! Astroscale U.S. executives Ron Lopez, Dr. Clare Martin, Becky Yoder, and Janna Lewis are now joined by the Honorable Mira R. Ricardel, Lt. Gen. (Retired) Henry A. “Trey” Obering III, and the Honorable Dr. William Schneider, Jr., as Chairman.

With the Board’s combined expertise, we’ve been shaking up traditional industry approaches and ensuring the safe and sustainable use of space for all.

Industry Recognition 🏆

Let’s take a moment to recognize those of us at Astroscale U.S. whose outstanding work has made waves in the industry.

First up is Senior Flight Software Engineer Arielle Cohen, who was recently spotlighted as a 2024 Payload Pioneer! Director of Engineering Jeff Schloemer received the prestigious SGAC Alumni Award, and Senior GNC Engineer Ryan Kramlich was named one of Space and Satellite Professionals International’s “20 Under 35” honorees!

Read more about Jeff's journey into the industry, his advice to other aerospace professionals, and more.

Last but not least, Executive Vice President (EVP) Dr. Clare Martin was appointed to the Office of Space Commerce (NOAA). Clare joined a distinguished group who strive to advance U.S. leadership in the global commercial space industry.

Spirit Week, Birthdays, and Celebrations Galore

Between all the work our team does day to day, we still need to take some time to celebrate how far we’ve come. Astroscale U.S. celebrated its 5th birthday in June, and we marked this milestone with our very own Homecoming Week. The entire U.S. team came together at the Denver HQ for games, a BBQ, and a performance by our very own band, RPO Space Wagon.

RPO Space Wagon in action! The band performing for Homecoming.

Building a sustainable future in space starts with taking care of our home here on Earth. As such, we hosted our first official community service day this Fall. Members of our Colorado team swapped their schematics and spreadsheets for shovels and spades to plant 30 trees in Northeast Denver.

The team planting trees in Northeast Denver.

Out on the Town: Community

We've traveled far and wide to spread the word about on-orbit servicing (OOS) and all the benefits it can bring. Along the way, we dipped our toe in the coffee business, connected with international leaders, and more.

Showcasing the Future of ISAM at COSMIC 2024

Executive Vice President Dr. Clare Martin took to the keynote stage at the Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC), highlighting how mature inspection technology can advance in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM). She emphasized the important role OOS plays and showcased Astroscale’s current on-orbit mission ADRAS-J as a prime example of how successful collaboration between industry and government can move us towards the future of ISAM.

Space Symposium, Meet GEO Joe

Space Symposium 2024 was a great place to collaborate and foster meaningful discussions on OOS. It was also where GEO Joe officially hit the scene. No, not GI Joe. Created as a nod to the refueling power of APS-R, our GEO Joe Refueler Roast coffee kept conference attendees going through those early, albeit invigorating, sessions.

Sorry, folks: Not available for purchase but might be spotted at your next space conference…

Life Extension: A Global Solution

Our Life Extension (LEX) team traveled to Vietnam to discuss OOS and the opportunities LEX services can provide.

There, they had the privilege of meeting with leaders from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) to explore how space sustainability can support Vietnam's broader goals. Conversations like these bring our vision of the safe development and sustainable development of space one step closer, and we look forward to many more in the future.

Astroscale U.S. Director of LEX Services Rob Staples, Astroscale U.S. Director of Commercial GEO On-Orbit Services Ryan Reel, MOST event translator Mr. Nam, and former Astroscale Japan VP of Business Development Nobuyasu Tajime.

Payload Pathfinder: ISAM in Defense Strategy

Astroscale U.S. Senior Director of Business Development for National Security Dennis Wille joined Falcon Research Senior Strategist Dr. John Klein in an exciting discussion on Payload’s Pathfinder podcast. The two discussed the Department of Defense’s push for commercial integration, operational resilience, and the future of military space innovation.

Interested in the podcast? Listen now.

Between the amazing growth we’ve experienced in 2024 and the work we’ve done to advance OOS technology, one thing is certain: Exciting things are on the horizon. Follow Astroscale U.S. on LinkedIn and X to stay up to date.

​