DEXTER Project Kicks Off at Cranfield University

Written By Erik Kulu

On 16 October 2025, Cranfield University hosted the kickoff meeting of the DEXTER (Debris EXtraction Tools for Extraterrestrial Recycling) project. The four-year European Innovation Council (EIC) funded initiative brings together partners from the United Kingdom, Spain, Estonia, and Sweden to pioneer new approaches for In-Space Recycling and Reuse of Orbital Assets (ISRROA).

DEXTER addresses two major barriers to sustainable orbital operations:

  • The lack of adequate tooling to harvest and process end-of-life spacecraft and debris.

  • The absence of economically sustainable applications for space debris. 

The project will validate enabling technologies for two key use cases:

  1. Structural reuse: transforming recovered orbital materials into new infrastructure elements.

  2. Propellant production: converting scrap aluminium into fuel and demonstrating a prototype refuellable plasma thruster.

Breakthroughs targeted by DEXTER include:

  • A modular robotic toolkit with a multipurpose rotary tool, non-destructive gripping mechanism, and computer vision for semi-autonomous operations.

  • Laser cutting and welding demonstrations.

  • Proof-of-concept for using orbital debris as propellant.

Laboratory demonstrations will imitate spacecraft disassembly, reassembly, and propellant utilisation. Results are expected to provide evidence of technical feasibility for in-space recycling and refuellable ADR concepts. By turning debris into a resource, DEXTER aims to reduce space debris risks, while enabling long-term sustainable space operations and establishing the foundations of a circular economy for space. 

Consortium partners are:

  • Cranfield University (UK) – Coordinator

  • Magdrive Ltd (UK)

  • Sener Aeroespacial S.A. (Spain)

  • Universidad de Alicante (Spain)

  • Vimotek AB (Sweden)

  • Moliri OÜ (Estonia)

The kickoff at Cranfield marked the start of coordinated research and development that will advance Europe’s leadership in orbital sustainability and in-space manufacturing. The meeting included a tour of Cranfield’s ASTRA-Lab, where the demonstrations will take place, and Welding and Additive Manufacturing Centre.

DEXTER Consortium at the Kickoff Meeting

DEXTER Consortium visiting the Cranfield University’s ASTRA-Lab

Erik Kulu