Inspecity

Inspecity is a Tokyo-based Japanese in-orbit services startup founded in 2020, developing autonomous spacecraft inspection and servicing technologies for satellite life extension, anomaly investigation, and debris mitigation. The company focuses on the close-proximity operations and computer vision capabilities required to safely approach, inspect, and interact with non-cooperative or non-designed-for-servicing satellites — a technically demanding challenge that requires precise GNC (guidance, navigation, and control) algorithms, real-time 3D reconstruction, and fault-tolerant autonomy for operations where human control latency is impractical.

Inspecity's technical approach centers on machine learning-based visual odometry and 3D pose estimation that can characterize a target satellite's geometry, attitude, and rotation state from monocular or stereo camera imagery — without prior CAD models of the target object. This model-free reconstruction capability is critical for servicing legacy satellites whose design documentation may be incomplete or unavailable. The system can identify attachment points, solar panel deployment states, antenna anomalies, and surface damage to support both inspection reporting and physical intervention planning.

Japan has a particular strategic interest in in-orbit servicing technologies given JAXA's active debris removal ambitions (the CRD2 Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration program, which contracted Astroscale for debris capture studies), Japan's large fleet of operational GEO satellites, and the country's engineering strength in precision robotics and vision systems that transfers to space proximity operations. Inspecity participates in JAXA's startup acceleration programs and Japan's space innovation ecosystem centered on JAXA's iQPS and commercial satellite operators.

The company's target customers include GEO satellite operators seeking life extension assessments before orbit-raising to a graveyard orbit, launch vehicle upper stage operators needing end-of-life disposition verification, and insurance underwriters assessing on-orbit damage claims. Inspecity competes with Astroscale (debris removal), D-Orbit (in-orbit transportation), and the specialized inspection systems being developed by Northrop Grumman (SpaceLAN) and Maxar in the in-orbit servicing market.