Orbital Lasers

Orbital Lasers is a Tokyo-based space debris removal startup founded in 2024 as a spin-off from SKY Perfect JSAT, Japan's largest satellite communications operator, to commercialize laser ablation active debris removal technology developed in partnership with RIKEN — Japan's premier multi-disciplinary research institute.

Laser ablation debris removal works by firing a high-powered pulsed laser at a piece of space debris from a servicing spacecraft or dedicated laser satellite: the laser pulse instantly vaporizes a tiny amount of material on the debris surface, and the resulting micro-jet of ablated material imparts a tiny impulse to the debris object — over thousands of pulses, this accumulated momentum change can lower the debris object's orbit enough for it to deorbit naturally through atmospheric drag within years rather than decades.

The advantage over mechanical capture approaches (like Astroscale's magnetic grapple or a net system) is that laser ablation doesn't require physical contact with the debris — avoiding the challenging and dangerous docking/contact operations needed to capture an uncooperative, tumbling debris object. The technology was demonstrated in ground laboratory conditions by RIKEN researchers, and Orbital Lasers is commercializing this science for on-orbit application. The company is planning to launch a demonstration mission and begin commercial debris removal services in Japanese fiscal year 2029 (starting April 2029).

SKY Perfect JSAT's backing provides Orbital Lasers with deep satellite operations expertise, regulatory relationships with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and customer access among satellite constellation operators worried about debris collision risk. Japan has taken a leadership role in space sustainability through the JAXA Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines and commercial ADR programs including Astroscale's ADRAS-J mission.