TAMPA, Fla. — British startup Shield Space plans to combine its autonomous satellite operations software with ClearSpace’s in-orbit servicing capabilities to address emerging orbital threats.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding June 23 to develop sovereign space defense capabilities for the United Kingdom and its allies, which they say are increasingly important as adversaries step up efforts to monitor, disrupt and potentially disable critical satellite infrastructure.
Founded in 2025, Shield Space is developing software designed to keep satellites operating autonomously even when communications with the ground are disrupted.
Luxembourg-headquartered ClearSpace, founded in 2018 with operations also spanning Switzerland, Germany and the U.K., is developing spacecraft for in-orbit inspection, life extension and debris removal applications. In partnership with the European Space Agency, ClearSpace announced plans in January to test close-proximity operations next year in a mission involving two small spacecraft.
Graeme Ritchie, Shield Space’s cofounder and CEO, said their partnership brings together companies focused on different aspects of autonomous proximity operations.
“ClearSpace has built world-class proximity operations in the service of responsible space operations,” he said via email.
“Shield Space was founded to address a fundamentally different problem: enabling allied operators to maintain mission continuity in denied or degraded environments.”
The companies said their agreement establishes a framework for integrating complementary capabilities, while providing a foundation for a broader industrial alliance focused on sovereign space defense.
“We’re not waiting for a single anchor customer or funding event to get things started,” Ritchie said, adding that the company expects to release more details about a “larger consortium” program in the coming months.
The announcement comes a few months after Shield Space said it was partnering with EnduroSat, a Bulgarian satellite maker, to deploy a cubesat next year capable of maneuvering near other satellites for inspection. That partnership is part of plans to develop a mothership that could house dozens of similar cubesats for on-demand investigations.
The companies are positioning their capabilities against a backdrop of growing concern in Europe about Russian and Chinese counterspace activity, including close approaches in orbit.
In February, the Financial Times reported that unnamed European security officials had told the newspaper they believed two Russian space vehicles had intercepted the communications of at least a dozen satellites across Europe.
Last year, the head of UK Space Command told the BBC that Russian satellites had been flying close to the country’s military satellites, which were also facing weekly jamming attempts from ground-based systems.
