16 June 2025 – Astroscale Ltd. has been awarded a contract worth GBP 5.15 million by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) dedicated to science and technology in the defence and security sectors, via BAE Systems as the Dstl Serapis Framework lead. As global reliance on space infrastructure grows, so do the threats posed by space weather, adversarial actions, and orbital congestion. As a critical step in strengthening the UK’s capabilities in space, the Orpheus mission objectives are to enhance our understanding of space weather and improve space situational awareness. A recent Lloyd’s of London report1 highlights that an extreme space weather event, such as a severe solar storm, could result in global economic losses of up to $2.4 trillion, with disruptions to the ionosphere posing a significant threat to satellite communications, navigation systems, and critical defence infrastructure. Read more