Orbit Recycling

Orbit Recycling, a German enterprise established in 2020, is positioning itself at the forefront of the emerging in-space circular economy by transforming space debris into valuable resources. The company is led by founder and CEO Frank Koch, an industrial engineer with a background in developing sustainability-focused business models. His work includes a foundational study on the business case for space debris, which analyzed the economic and technical feasibility of the company's core concept.

The firm's primary business revolves around a novel solution to the growing problem of orbital debris, which currently amounts to over 8,000 tons and poses a significant threat to active satellites and future space missions. Orbit Recycling's strategy involves capturing large debris objects, such as spent rocket upper stages, and transporting them from Earth's orbit to the Moon. Once on the lunar surface, these materials, primarily aluminum, would be recycled and repurposed for in-situ manufacturing. This approach directly addresses the high cost of launching construction materials from Earth, offering a substantial economic advantage for future lunar infrastructure projects.

The company has developed and tested prototypes for a lunar foundry capable of processing these materials. A key output is a composite material named ALReCo, created from recycled aluminum and lunar regolith, which can be used to construct essential components like walls, power lines, and heat storage systems for a lunar base. Orbit Recycling serves clients in the space sector, including government agencies and commercial companies. Its revenue streams are based on securing contracts for research and development, such as those with the European Space Agency (ESA), and providing specialized consulting services to the space industry.

Since its inception, the company has achieved notable milestones, including winning the German Business Awards in 2024 and securing a third-place finish in the INNOspace Masters competition in 2020/2021. It has also been recognized by the Moon Village Association's PromoMoon initiative and participated in Luxembourg's ESRIC Startup Support Program. In 2023, Orbit Recycling began operating the #TheMoon lunar test environment at Rostock-Laage Airport, further demonstrating its capability in this specialized field.

Keywords: space debris recycling, in-situ resource utilization, lunar construction, circular economy in space, space junk removal, Frank Koch, ALReCo, lunar foundry, cislunar economy, space sustainability, European Space Agency contractor, in-space manufacturing, regolith processing, aerospace, deep tech, space resource management, orbital debris mitigation, lunar infrastructure, satellite servicing, sustainable space exploration