Orbital Reclamation
For Satellite Owners

For Satellite Owners

Responsible End‑of‑Life Management for Retired GEO Assets

Retired satellites can remain in orbit for decades. Even when non-operational, they can carry long-tail considerations—regulatory, insurance, and reputational—while continuing to contribute to an increasingly congested orbital environment.

Orbital Reclamation provides a conservative pathway for voluntary, lawful end-of-life management of retired satellites, beginning with inspection and stabilization and progressing only as authorized and approved.

Why Owners Work With Us

1) Reduce Long‑Tail Risk

A non-operational satellite may still represent:

  • Ongoing orbital risk (collision, conjunction management, interference concerns)
  • Uncertainty about passivation state and long-term behavior
  • Reputational exposure as sustainability expectations evolve

Our objective is to help transform a retired asset from an unmanaged object into a managed, documented, and risk-reduced end-of-life case.

2) Preserve Compliance and Governance

We operate only through:

  • Voluntary authorization from the owner (or authorized representative), and
  • Applicable regulatory approvals and licensing pathways.

We do not undertake unauthorized activity and do not require owners to participate in operations after transfer/custodial assignment is completed.

3) Avoid Operational Disruption

Our work is focused on retired assets. We do not interfere with active services. We design operations to be conservative, reversible, and controlled.

Engagement Models (Flexible by Design)

Depending on owner preference and regulatory requirements, engagements can be structured as:

A) Custodial Transfer / Operational Assumption

The owner retains title while transferring defined custodial responsibility and operational control to Orbital Reclamation, subject to approvals.

B) Conditional Assignment

Transfer is executed upon required regulatory acknowledgement/approval.

C) End‑of‑Life Management Agreement (Service Model)

Orbital Reclamation provides inspection and stabilization services with clear scope, liability, and governance.

The final structure is driven by legal, regulatory, insurance, and owner preferences.

Our Operating Approach (What to Expect)

Step 1 — Preliminary Assessment (Non‑Binding)

We start with a high-level assessment using publicly available information and owner-provided context (if available), including:

  • Known status and retirement history
  • Current orbital regime (e.g., graveyard relocation)
  • Available documentation (engineering/operations records, passivation notes)

Outcome: a conservative feasibility summary and an initial compliance pathway view.

Step 2 — Term Sheet / LOI (Optional)

If there is mutual interest, we move to a non-binding LOI outlining:

  • Transaction structure (custody/assignment/service)
  • Regulatory posture
  • Liability allocation principles
  • Insurance approach
  • Confidentiality and information handling

Step 3 — Documentation and Due Diligence

We align on the documentation required to proceed responsibly. This may include:

  • Retirement and passivation details (if available)
  • Historical orbit and relocation context
  • Any known anomalies or relevant engineering notes

We can proceed with limited information, but more documentation reduces uncertainty and risk.

Step 4 — Regulatory Coordination (Owner‑Minimal Burden)

Orbital Reclamation leads the regulatory and licensing work appropriate to the engagement, with the goal of minimizing burden on the owner.

Step 5 — Phase 1 Operations (Inspection‑First)

Phase 1 focuses on standoff inspection and characterization, and where appropriate, stabilization—with conservative safety gates and reversibility. We do not begin with dismantling or irreversible actions.

Deliverables typically include:

  • High-resolution inspection imagery and condition assessment
  • Dynamics characterization (e.g., attitude/spin state, stability indicators)
  • A documented safety case and operational record
  • A recommended end-of-life path (stabilize, monitor, repurpose as authorized, or dispose)

Liability, Insurance, and Risk Allocation (High-Level)

Each engagement includes clear responsibility boundaries and risk containment. As a baseline:

  • We do not ask owners to sponsor unauthorized operations.
  • We seek to structure post-transfer control and responsibility to minimize the owner’s exposure.
  • Insurance and liability allocation are addressed in the definitive agreements and aligned with applicable law.

(We can discuss specifics under NDA where appropriate.)

What We Will Not Do

To be explicit:

  • We do not act without owner authorization and required approvals.
  • We do not claim rights to abandoned or ambiguous assets.
  • We do not publish operational details that increase risk to space assets.
  • We do not market capabilities that we cannot substantiate.

If You’re Exploring Options for a Retired Satellite

We can begin with a short, confidential conversation and a preliminary assessment.

Contact:
owners@orbitalreclamation.space
or use the contact form at orbitalreclamation.space/contact.