Astroscale's (TYO:186A) Japanese subsidiary has signed a launch contract with European space company Isar Aerospace for the ADRAS-J2 mission, according to a Tokyo bourse filing on Tuesday.
The mission will demonstrate the removal of a 3-ton rocket upper stage as part of JAXA's CRD2 Phase II, with launch scheduled for the Japanese fiscal year ending April 2028.
ADRAS-J2 follows Astroscale's 2024 ADRAS-J, which achieved the first commercial debris inspection, and will now capture and deorbit the same target using capabilities demonstrated in that earlier mission.
Isar Aerospace, a German launch provider founded in 2018, will use its vertically integrated vehicles for the mission and plans multiple prior launches to enhance reliability.
The contract's financial impact is already reflected in Astroscale's existing forecast for the fiscal year ending April 2027, with the total ADRAS-J2 contract amount unchanged at 12 billion yen.