Cosmoserve Space targets commercial debris removal operations by early 2028

Hyderabad, Nov 5 (TNT) :Hyderabad-based spacetech startup Cosmoserve Space plans to launch commercial space debris removal operations by early 2028 after completing a series of technology demonstration missions over the next year, its Founder and CEO Dr Chiranjeevi Phanindra said on Thursday.

The company has raised a total of USD 9 million through pre-seed and seed funding rounds to develop robotic spacecraft and technologies for removing space debris, he told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of Base 1, its integrated space debris removal facility, here.

The startup, which began operations in August 2025, raised USD 3.17 million in its pre-seed round in September 2025 and another USD 6 million in a seed round in 2026.

It currently employs 25 people and plans to increase its workforce to 50 over the next three months, he said.

With the pre-seed funding, the company conducted its first in-space technology demonstration aboard the maiden flight of Vikram-1 on July 18, collecting valuable data.

It plans to undertake multiple missions over the next year to validate its technology and operational capabilities, he added.

Explaining the technology, Dr Chiranjeevi, a former ISRO scientist and Deputy Project Director of the Gaganyaan mission, said the company was developing robotic spacecraft capable of capturing defunct satellites and bringing them out of orbit for destruction through atmospheric re-entry.

The robotic spacecraft would be reusable and could capture multiple debris objects depending on fuel availability.

The company was also developing a larger mother spacecraft that would serve as an in-orbit refuelling depot to replenish smaller robotic vehicles and extend their operational life.

Identifying the capture of tumbling satellites as a major technological challenge, he said flexible robotic arms were being developed to reduce their rotation before attempting capture.

Space debris travels at speeds of around 7.5 km per second, or 28,000 km per hour. The servicing spacecraft must match the target object’s velocity and bring the relative speed between the two almost to zero before attempting capture, he explained.

Around 50,000 objects measuring more than 10 cm are currently in orbit, of which only about 16,000 are operational satellites, while the remaining majority constitute space debris, he said.

The company’s initial focus would be on debris measuring more than 10 cm and weighing up to 500 kg, which could be handled using its existing robotic technology. Larger objects, including rocket bodies, would require further scaling up of the technology, he added.

Dr Chiranjeevi said emerging regulations requiring satellite operators to remove defunct satellites were creating a commercial market for debris removal services. While such requirements were evolving in the US, India had also announced its Debris Free Space Mission, envisaging implementation from 2030.

The company would undertake debris removal operations only through contractual agreements with satellite owners. Its future plans also included in-orbit servicing activities such as satellite repairs, refuelling and orbital repositioning, he said.

The next mission would involve an upgraded version of its EMBRACE technology demonstration and was expected to be undertaken in the next couple of months. The company had partnered with Sparrow for launch services, Pixxel for the satellite bus and the Netherlands-based Dawn Aerospace for propulsion systems, he added.

Rebright Partners Founding General Partner Takeshi Ebihara described space debris as a shared global challenge and expressed confidence in Cosmoserve’s technological capabilities.

AUM Ventures Managing Partner Chetan Mehta and Shakti VC Managing Partner Keval Desai also expressed confidence in the company’s efforts to make debris removal and in-orbit servicing commercially viable.

Hyderabad’s aerospace and defence ecosystem, engineering talent and research capabilities were providing a strong foundation for the growth of the spacetech industry, the company said.

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