By Mike Lindsay, Chief Technology Officer, Astroscale
The United States Government Accountability Office’s recent in-space servicing report paints a nearly 70-year-old picture: despite decades of progress in both space technology and environmental preservation, satellites are still treated as disposable.
We build them, launch them, use them until they falter, and then abandon them in orbit or throw them away. It’s a model that has changed very little since humanity first started launching satellites in 1957.
The irony is that the tools to break this cycle already exist. For example, we know it’s entirely feasible to refuel satellites, extend their lives by years, and even repair them. The technology has been demonstrated, not only by space administrations, but commercial companies as well.
Yet since DARPA (the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) pioneered autonomous refuelling with its Orbital Express in 2007, further progress and adoption have been slow. Why is that?
Because sustainable space won’t happen if we continue to only think nationally.
Common framework needed
Consider the history of aviation. International air travel became safe and routine only when nations agreed on shared rules, such as how planes communicate with towers, what standards runways must meet, and which protocols govern flight paths.
Without that common framework, there were no guarantees that the airplanes of one nation could safely and reliably serve customers in another. Yet in any industry or sector, commercializing a product that is incompatible with global infrastructure – addressing a total market of only a single country – has significant limits.
Space today is at the same inflection point.
Imagine if every satellite had a different “charging port.” Service providers wouldn’t know which interface to include, manufacturers wouldn’t want to accommodate multiple options, and operators would hesitate to invest in a service that locks them into a sole provider.
The result is the stalemate we are currently experiencing with in-orbit servicing (IOS).
IOS – defined as one space object providing services to another while operating in close proximity – benefits from compatibility between the servicer and client objects. Unfortunately, funded demonstrations for new methods or interfaces in IOS are sparse, despite the need for multiple iterations before deciding on an appropriate international norm.
Until we escape from this chicken-and-egg problem and establish international standards and policies, orbital servicing will remain a niche experiment without a global market.
Why satellite assets matter
The consequences aren’t just technical. Satellites connect rural schools to the Internet. They track wildfires and tropical storms, helping communities prepare and recover. They synchronize financial systems and guide emergency responders.
If we keep discarding these assets prematurely or irresponsibly, then costs will rise, accessibility will worsen, and the world will be left more vulnerable to disruptions. Conversely, if we extend satellite lifespans through servicing, communities around the globe will gain in terms of digital resilience, affordability and reliability.
The question is, how can we make satellite servicing a normal practice?
International collaboration doesn’t necessarily require a new treaty. Governments can start by building serviceability features into their own fleets, setting an example for industry and establishing a market.
While companies are already working toward high-level servicing standards, supplemental funding is needed to test, iterate, and eventually down-select specific features.
For example, commercial operators can agree that satellite charging ports must be safely accessible and protected from electrostatic discharge. But choosing precise electrical current levels and mechanical mating features is difficult before collecting data from multiple in-orbit trials. Unfortunately, commercial companies cannot self-fund unlimited demonstration missions.
In addition to financial support, regulators can adjust export and licensing policies so that international servicing missions aren’t tangled in red tape before they even launch.
Cooperation for a connected world
The history of digital technologies offers salient lessons, too.
The Internet didn’t become indispensable by being confined and controlled within a single country. It flourished because common protocols allowed networks to connect seamlessly across borders.
Shipping containers revolutionized trade not because of technology alone, but because nations adopted uniform standards.
The same logic applies in orbit. And bridging international gaps in support of IOS will not only unlock a massive economic boon but will also help us reduce our reliance on single-use satellites and keep our space environment more sustainable.
This cannot be achieved without cooperation between companies, among governments, and across borders. Satellites deserve a second life – but it requires international efforts.
That’s why institutions like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and opportunities like ITU’s Space Sustainability Forum matter. These are places to shape the future of the space industry for the common good of humanity.
The time has come to build a global market for space sustainability.
If we get that investment right, the payoff won’t be just a sustainable orbital environment. It will be a stronger, safer, and more connected world here on Earth.
Find out more about the Space Sustainability Forum.
Check out ITU’s Space Connect webinar: “Space as an economic driver,” 23 September 2025.
Header image credit: Astroscale
