Exotrail to lead OneWeb deorbit mission under France 2030

(SpaceEnergy) Exotrail has been selected to lead a French in-orbit mobility mission that will dock with and deorbit an operational Eutelsat OneWeb satellite between 2029 and 2030.

The mission, selected under the France 2030 In-Orbit Services – Mobility programme and expected to be contracted by French space agency CNES, will involve Astroscale France and Eutelsat. It advances the project from preparatory studies towards mission execution.

Exotrail will act as mission prime and design, manufacture, test and operate a next-generation spacevan RPO/D servicing vehicle. The spacecraft will approach and dock with a prepared OneWeb satellite in low Earth orbit, transfer the combined spacecraft to a re-entry orbit, separate and passivate both vehicles before their respective passive re-entries.

The mission is a material in-space propulsion and mobility development because the servicing vehicle must provide the orbital-transfer capability needed to manoeuvre the combined spacecraft stack from its operational orbit towards disposal.

Astroscale France will contribute rendezvous, proximity-operations and docking technology, while Eutelsat will provide the target satellite and operational requirements.

Exotrail chief executive Jean-Luc Maria said the demonstration would establish a French reference for end-of-life services while maturing rendezvous and docking capabilities needed for more resilient European space infrastructure.