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The UK Space Agency is asking UK residents to name a spacecraft that will remove two dead satellites from orbit. The competition opened at 09:30 BST on 15 October 2026 and closes at 17:00 GMT on 10 December 2026.
How to enter the UK mission-naming competition
The official competition is titled “Name the UK Active Debris Removal Mission.” It is open only to UK residents, with one entry permitted per person. A school or class can submit a joint suggestion through a parent or teacher.
- Choose a mission name containing no more than two words, or submit an acronym.
- Add an explanation of no more than 150 words.
- Submit the entry before 17:00 GMT on 10 December 2026.
The name must be original and suitable for a national space programme. Entries cannot duplicate past, current or proposed space missions or mission components. They must not infringe intellectual property, use military themes or commercial brands, reuse an existing spacecraft name, or contain wording that could be offensive or controversial.
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What the spacecraft will actually do
“Debris removal” does not mean a spacecraft collecting loose fragments like a space-based bin lorry. The mission will rendezvous with two defunct satellites, attach to them and change their orbits. By releasing them into lower atmospheric re-entry paths, the satellites should naturally burn up as they fall through Earth’s atmosphere.
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The UK Government describes the planned operation as a world first because it is intended to dispose of more than one satellite in this way. The mission is planned for launch in 2029 from SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland.
Mission facts at a glance
| Detail | Current plan |
|---|---|
| Mission | UK Active Debris Removal mission (UK ADR) |
| Competition opening | 09:30 BST, 15 October 2026 |
| Competition closing | 17:00 GMT, 10 December 2026 |
| Eligibility | UK residents; one entry per person; joint school or class entries allowed through a parent or teacher |
| Launch | Planned for 2029 from SaxaVord Spaceport, Scotland |
| Target objects | Two defunct satellites |
| Disposal method | Lower the satellites into atmospheric re-entry paths so they burn up naturally |
| Longer-term design | Refuellable spacecraft intended for future debris-removal work |
Why removing dead satellites matters
Earth orbit is a working infrastructure environment, not an empty backdrop. The UK Government says hundreds of thousands of tracked debris objects travel at speeds above 17,000 miles per hour. At those velocities, even a relatively small object can damage or disable a satellite.
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Satellites support everyday communications and services as well as national-security functions. Removing large, defunct spacecraft can reduce the number of collision hazards and help keep useful orbital paths available for future missions.
A spacecraft designed for more than one job
The UK ADR spacecraft is intended to be refuellable. That design should allow it to continue operating after the initial two-satellite disposal, rather than being limited to a single short mission. Future uses will depend on the spacecraft’s final capabilities, available fuel and the targets selected by the programme.
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Will the winning suggestion definitely become the spacecraft’s name?
No. A public entry is not automatically the final name. The UK Space Agency and its partner supplier must approve the selected name. Legal checks, trademark conflicts or wider programme-risk concerns can require a different choice.
The competition terms expressly state that the final mission name remains subject to approval and may differ from the submitted entry selected as the winner. A strong suggestion therefore needs to fit the two-word-or-acronym rule, but it also needs to be distinctive, legally usable and appropriate for an operational spacecraft.
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What makes a practical entry?
- Keep it short enough to satisfy the two-word or acronym limit.
- Use the 150-word explanation to connect the name with orbital clean-up, safe re-entry or the mission’s future reuse.
- Check that it is not already associated with a spacecraft, mission or mission component.
- Avoid jokes or references that could be read as military, commercial, offensive or controversial.
- Remember that the final approval process can reject an otherwise winning public suggestion.
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