Orbital cleanup is moving from demo mission to service contract

The era of commercial space debris removal is set to begin in 2027, as two private companies—U.S.-based Portal Space Systems and Australia's Paladin Space—join forces to launch a repeatable cleanup service for low Earth orbit. Their partnership, announced this month, targets the growing threat of space junk, which includes nearly 130 million pieces of debris ranging from paint flecks to defunct satellites. While previous missions have demonstrated that debris capture is technically feasible, this initiative aims to make it a scalable, operational service rather than a one-off experiment.

The service will rely on Portal's Starburst spacecraft, a highly maneuverable platform designed to rendezvous with debris, and Paladin's Triton payload, which specializes in capturing objects under one meter in size. According to Paladin CEO Harrison Box, Triton is built to remove dozens of small debris objects in a single mission, fundamentally altering the cost structure of orbital cleanup. This efficiency is critical, as small debris accounts for most collision-avoidance maneuvers performed by satellite operators today. The companies plan to launch their first test mission, Starburst-1, in late 2026 aboard SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare, with commercial operations slated to follow in 2027.

The source material also shows that portal's $50 million Series A funding, secured in early April, underscores the growing investor confidence in commercial debris removal. The company's CEO, Jeff Thornburg, emphasized that the goal is to move beyond experimental missions and establish a reliable, operational service. "This is about making debris removal operational, not experimental," Thornburg said in a statement. The partnership has already attracted interest from Starlab Space, which signed a letter of intent to integrate the DRAAS service into its future space station operations—a sign that the industry is preparing for a more sustainable orbital environment.

The technical approach mirrors advancements in other debris removal projects, such as Astroscale's ELSA-d mission and ClearSpace's upcoming ESA-backed cleanup. However, Portal and Paladin's focus on small debris sets them apart, addressing a segment of the problem that has largely been overlooked due to the challenges of tracking and capturing tiny objects. With nearly 130 million pieces of debris in orbit—most too small to monitor but large enough to cause catastrophic damage—the need for scalable solutions has never been more urgent. The 2027 debut could mark a turning point in how the space industry manages its growing orbital footprint.

For source context, compare Space.com, NASA Science and European Space Agency.