UK Space Agency opens contest to name debris-removal mission
UK residents can submit names until 10 December for a £60 million-plus mission planned to remove two defunct satellites.
By Dominic Okoye · Staff Writer
· 3 min read
The UK Space Agency has opened a public competition for a UK space debris mission name, inviting residents to name its first national Active Debris Removal mission. The government is backing the ClearSpace UK-led project with more than £60 million to capture and dispose of two defunct UK-registered satellites, with a launch planned for 2029 and disposal targeted by 2032.
The contest opened on 15 October and closes at 5pm UK time on 10 December 2026. It is a public-engagement exercise alongside a spacecraft programme that the agency has selected ClearSpace UK to design, develop and deliver as prime contractor.
How can UK residents name the space debris mission?
Entries are open to UK residents, with one submission allowed per person. A parent, carer, teacher or educator must submit entries on behalf of people under 18. Schools, classes, youth groups and community groups can also submit an entry.
- Propose a name of no more than two words. Acronyms are permitted.
- Include an explanation of no more than 150 words.
- Match the stated theme: keeping space clean and safe for future generations.
- Submit by 5pm UK time on 10 December 2026.
The agency says proposed names should be easy to pronounce and suitable for international use. They must be politically neutral and cannot use military themes, commercial brands, existing spacecraft names, offensive or controversial language, or protected trademarks and copyrighted material.
The selected name will appear on the mission patch and spacecraft. The winner will receive a framed certificate signed by the Space Minister and the UK Space Agency director, with additional prizes available for winners aged seven to 18. The judging panel is due to make its decision in the week beginning 11 January 2027, according to the agency.
What will the ClearSpace UK mission do?
ClearSpace UK plans to build a spacecraft that can approach and capture two inactive satellites in low Earth orbit that were not designed to be serviced. It would then lower them toward the atmosphere, where they are intended to burn up. The spacecraft is planned to launch from SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland.
The project remains a planned mission, not an operational cleanup. ClearSpace says operations are targeted to begin in 2029, subject to final mission and launch scheduling. The government says the spacecraft is intended to be refuellable for later use.
The UK government describes the proposed operation as the first spacecraft mission to dispose of more than one satellite in this way. Its case rests on a growing debris problem: old satellites and other objects can collide with active spacecraft that support communications, navigation and weather services. The agency says the mission will demonstrate debris-removal technology at a scale not previously used.
The programme has been in development for several years. In 2022, the UK Space Agency funded design work by ClearSpace and Astroscale for national debris-removal concepts. ClearSpace was selected as the delivery partner in October 2026, setting the current plan around a single contractor and a two-satellite demonstration.
This story draws on original reporting from The Register.
