Asteroid capture & cislunar return
The logistics layer for the space economy
We're building the spacecraft, autonomous deep-space flight software, and deep space network to capture near-Earth asteroids and deliver them to cislunar space for mining and refining customers.
The mission
We bring the asteroids to the miners
- Step 1
Launch
A commercial launch puts our spacecraft on course for a selected near-Earth asteroid.
- Step 2
Capture
The spacecraft envelops the asteroid in a capture bag and cinches it closed.
- Step 3
Return
Autonomous deep-space flight software flies the asteroid back to cislunar space.
- Step 4
Deliver
Mining and refining customers receive the material where they operate.
Why asteroids
Critical resources, already in orbit
Platinum vs best mine ore×13
in the richest metallic asteroid material1
Iridium vs Earth's crustup to×15,000
in the richest metallic (M-type) asteroids2
Water by mass~10%
in carbonaceous (C-type) asteroids3
Space economy, 2035$1.8T
projected by WEF & McKinsey4
Why water
Everyone knows why metals are valuable. Here's why water is the most valuable near-term resource.
Today, almost everything used in space has to be launched from Earth. Water found in space can instead be split into hydrogen and oxygen for rocket propellant, and it supports life and shields people and equipment from radiation. NASA's OSIRIS-REx found water-bearing clay minerals on asteroid Bennu,9 and JAXA's Hayabusa2 confirmed hydrated minerals on Ryugu.10
- Rocket propellant and refueling depots
- Life support and oxygen
- Radiation shielding
- Satellite servicing
- Space habitats and agriculture
Roadmap
Four phases to a fleet
Year 0 to 1
We are hereYear 1 to 2.5
Year 2.5 to 10
Year 10 onward
Platform · 3 products in development
Everything a retrieval mission needs
We build the whole chain ourselves: the spacecraft that captures the asteroid, the deep-space flight software that flies it, and the ground network that keeps it in contact. Two of the three are open to other operators.
Hardware
Retrieval spacecraft
We build our spacecraft around flight-proven commercial components, and design in house everything else needed to complete a deep-space asteroid capture mission.
- Flight-proven commercial bus, ion propulsion, and attitude control
- In-house designs for what a capture mission needs, including the capture bag that envelops and cinches around the asteroid
- Tows the captured asteroid to cislunar space
Flies our retrieval missions
Deep-space software
Autonomous deep-space flight
Far from Earth, every command arrives minutes late. Our deep-space flight software lets a mission be simulated in full before launch, then flies the trajectory, rendezvous, and capture on board, adapting in real time as conditions change in flight.
- Full mission simulation before launch
- On-board navigation and guidance that adapts in real time
- Autonomous rendezvous with a tumbling target
- Mission operations with minimal ground intervention
Flies our spacecraftLicensed to other operators
Infrastructure
Private deep space network
Ground stations spread around the globe, so spacecraft far beyond Earth orbit always have a station in view. We are also building the network to be capable of radio astronomy, with observing time available to universities and observatories.
- Tracking, telemetry, and command for deep-space craft
- Capacity for our fleet as it grows
- Radio astronomy observing time for universities and observatories
- Network time offered as a service
Supports our missionsOpen to customers
Operating a spacecraft beyond Earth orbit?
Tell us about your mission. We're talking to early users of the deep-space flight software and network.
Mission · Asteroid capture & cislunar return
Own the logistics, not the mining
We focus on capture and transport. Miners and refiners get water-rich and metal-rich asteroids delivered to cislunar space, without flying years into deep space to find them. This reduces capital expenditure and risk for miners, since they don't have to depend on a single mission.
How a mission works
Four steps
Locate
Spectroscopy surveys identify high-value near-Earth asteroids with favourable orbits.
Capture
The spacecraft rendezvous with the asteroid and envelops it in the capture bag.
Transport
Ion propulsion and autonomous navigation carry it to cislunar space.
Deliver
Customers mine and refine. We own the logistics, not the processing.
Targets
Which asteroids we're after
More than 40,000 near-Earth asteroids are catalogued.5 Two classes hold what the space economy needs most.
C-type
Dark, ancient bodies of clay, silicates, and carbon compounds. Rich in water, the most valuable near-term space resource: propellant, life support, and radiation shielding.
M-type
Thought to be exposed iron-nickel cores of early protoplanets. The primary target for platinum-group metals and rare earth metals.
Sources
- B. R. Blair, The Role of Near-Earth Asteroids in Long-Term Platinum Supply
- M. Ragheb, Nuclear Asteroid Mining, University of Illinois course notes: up to ~60 ppm iridium in M-type asteroids vs ~0.001 ppm in Earth's crust. See also M. Elvis, How Many Ore-Bearing Asteroids?
- M. R. Lee et al., The water content of CM carbonaceous chondrite falls and finds, 2023
- WEF & McKinsey, Space: The $1.8 Trillion Opportunity, 2024
- NASA JPL CNEOS, Discovery Statistics
- USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Platinum-Group Metals
- USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Rare Earths
- IEA, Rare Earth Elements
- NASA, NASA's Bennu Asteroid Sample Contains Carbon, Water, 2023
- T. Nakamura et al., Formation and evolution of carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu, Science, 2022
Roadmap · Currently in Phase 1
From foundation to fleet
Four phases take us from our first designs to a fleet returning one asteroid every month. Each one advances all three products.
Year 0 to 1
We are hereYear 1 to 2.5
Year 2.5 to 10
Year 10 onward
Foundation
We design 3D models of the spacecraft and simulate its flight profile on our in-house deep-space flight software. Then we build a physical prototype of the asteroid capture mechanism and test it.
Prove it in space
We launch a prototype of our capture spacecraft into orbit and test its operations in flight.
First retrieval
Our first capture mission flies out to an asteroid, captures it, and brings it home for our first delivery.
Build the fleet
We scale up operations, adding spacecraft until we are returning one asteroid every month.
By product
Three products, built together, each earning on its own timeline
These timelines are our current predictions, not fixed dates. We share them to show how the company builds upon itself: the network and deep-space flight software we develop for our own missions start serving customers early, then carry our capture missions, so each phase grows the capabilities we can offer.
| Product | 1 · Foundation Year 0 to 1 | 2 · Prove it in space Year 1 to 2.5 | 3 · First retrieval Year 2.5 to 10 | 4 · Build the fleet Year 10 onward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private deep space networkTracking and communications | Month 8Design the networkMonth 10Locate and secure a first site | Revenue · month 14Month 14First station online, begin to leaseMonth 24Track our test missionMonth 25Grow station count | Month 36Track our first missionEarning | Earning |
| Autonomous deep-space flight softwareDeep-space autonomy | Month 6In-house flight profile simulationMonth 7Begin build-out of the full deep-space software suite | Month 20Flies on our prototype in orbitRevenue · month 24Month 24Sale of first deep-space software licenseMonth 26Continue to build out the deep-space software suite | Earning | Earning |
| Capture spacecraftAsteroid retrieval | Month 43D models and flight simulationsMonth 8Build capture prototype and test | Month 20Launch orbital test | Month 36Launch first asteroid capture missionYear 10Deliver first captured asteroid | Revenue · year 10Year 10, month 1Begin scaling up asteroid retrieval missionsEarning |
BuildingEarningRevenue begins
Company · About us
Protecting our planet. Expanding what's possible.
A sustainable supply of critical minerals for Earth and for the growing space economy, without the environmental damage of mining on Earth.
Protect Earth
Reduce the need for environmentally destructive mining and secure critical minerals sustainably.
Power the space economy
Supply materials for lunar and in-space industry, and enable long-term space infrastructure.
How we build
Commercial-off-the-shelf first
We use flight-proven components wherever they exist and spend engineering effort only on what's new: the capture bag, the deep-space flight software, and the network.
Lower cost
Faster development
Lower risk
Simpler integration
Team
The people building it
Stephen Hilton
Founder & CEO
M.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of South Carolina. Novel 3D printing methods, robotic systems, software, and electronics.
John Paradise
Lead Engineer
M.S. Engineering Mechanics; B.S. Materials Science & Engineering, Virginia Tech. Composites, robotics, and industrial manufacturing.
Careers
Want to work on deep-space autonomy, spacecraft, or ground systems?
We're not hiring formally yet, but we'd like to meet engineers who want to build this.
Contact · We reply personally
Let's talk
Whether you're an investor, a customer, a partner, or an engineer, email us at the address below. Every message reaches our founder.
Investors
Request more information
Ask for our deck, learn more about the team and business, and set up a call with our founder and his team.
Customers & partners
Deep-space software, network, or deliveries
Operators interested in the deep-space flight software or network time, and future buyers of asteroid material.
Engineers
Help build it
Deep-space autonomy, spacecraft hardware, and ground systems.
Stephen.Hilton@AstraRetrieval.com