ClearSpace, a Swiss space tech startup specializing in space debris management, has signed a launch contract agreement with Arianespace to launch its first space debris removal mission, ClearSpace-1, aboard the European light launcher, Vega C.

Vega C will launch the servicer spacecraft into sun-synchronous drift orbit for commissioning and critical tests, along with rendezvousing with the client object for capture and de-orbitation via atmospheric re-entry.

ClearSpace-1 mission, slated to launch in 2H 2026, will demonstrate the technical capabilities of the spacecraft and its quartet of robotic arms by removing the upper part of a Vespa (Vega Secondary Payload Adapter) (weighing over 100 kg) left in gradual disposal orbit during the second flight of a Vega launcher in 2013.

AnalystQuickTake: Earlier this year, ClearSpace and its industrial partners passed the first major program review with the European Space Agency (ESA) for its ClearSpace-1 mission, with funding secured for its next phase. The company also secured EUR 26.7 million (~USD 28.3 million) in Series A funding to accelerate orbital debris removal activity ahead of ClearSpace-1.