Aiming for a Sustainable Space Business
As a leading company in the satellite business, Axelspace is dedicated to upholding the responsibility to both Earth and space environments. The self-initiated Green Spacecraft Standard outlines guidelines intended to reduce the environmental impact linked with satellite mass production and space debris generation from launch to the end of operations. Through the continued advancement of the Standard and active engagement in international rulemaking efforts, Axelspace aims to contribute to a more sustainable space industry and promote the broader adoption of sustainable practices across the sector.
Green Spacecraft Standard
From development to disposal (de-orbit).
Comprehensive sustainability throughout the satellite lifecycle.
The Green Spacecraft Standard is Axelspace's own space sustainability standard. It provides guidelines for achieving sustainable use of space across the entire satellite lifecycle, from mission planning and system design to manufacturing, operations, and disposal.
Since the launch of the AxelLiner demonstration satellite PYXIS in 2024, the company has applied the Standard to all of its own satellites developed thereafter. In parallel, it continues to advance and refine the Standard in response to evolving international developments in space sustainability research, regulation, and standardization. The company also promotes the broader use of the Standard across the space industry and actively engages in international rulemaking efforts.
Through these activities, Axelspace aims to contribute to greater sustainability across the sector and to the establishment of sustainable space business practices as an industry norm.
Sustainable Manufacturing
Every organization involved in the satellite manufacturing process complies with the “Guidelines” which aim to minimize the environmental burden in the entire manufacturing process, including procurement and transportation.
Collision Avoidance
In-orbit operations to avoid a collision with foreign objects must be performed to reduce the collision probability to a sufficiently safe level.
Secure Disposal after EOL
After terminating the mission operation, the satellite must be deorbited within a predetermined period of time with a sufficiently high success rate.
* Satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) should lower the altitude to enter the atmosphere.
Safe Re-entry
Material selection and structural design must be carefully performed to ensure that the risk of residue reaching the ground is at a sufficiently safe level at the time of re-entry to the atmosphere for disposal.
Contribution to Establishment and Dissemination of International Standards
Space Sustainability Rating (SSR) is a sustainability assessment system for space business operators mainly established by Europe, in which Japan has been actively pursuing involvement.
Axelspace proactively contributes to the establishment of effective rating indicators and their dissemination to the industry.
(Axelspace supported SSR activities as a beta tester.)
D-SAIL
Rapid De-orbit
~ Last Mission of a Low Earth Orbit Satellite ~
D-SAIL is a deorbit device developed by Axelspace in cooperation with SAKASE ADTECH CO., LTD. When activated, it deploys a large membrane surface, causing drag resistance that acts as a brake to the satellite's orbital motion in Low Earth Orbit with thin atmospheric conditions. This enables the satellite to rapidly re-enter the atmosphere (de-orbit) and prevents it from becoming space debris after operation.
D-SAIL has been selected as one of the demonstration themes of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) satellite program called “RApid Innovative Payload Demonstration SatellitE-4 (RAISE-4)”, and is scheduled for in-orbit demonstration in the near future. Since the launch of "PYXIS" in March 2024, this mechanism has been included as a standard component in the general-purpose bus systems developed by our group.