BULL Co., Ltd. and Avio S.p.A. (headquartered in Rome, Italy; CEO: Giulio Ranzo; hereinafter 'Avio'), a major European rocket manufacturer and launch service provider, announce the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) regarding the evaluation and procurement of BULL's Post-Mission Disposal (PMD) device 'HORN' designed to prevent spacecraft from becoming space debris.

Background and Purpose of the LOI

In January 2025, BULL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Avio to jointly study the feasibility of integrating BULL's PMD device 'HORN' onto the small launch vehicle 'Vega-C'. This LOI marks a progression from that MoU, demonstrating strengthened collaboration between the two companies.

With this LOI, Avio and BULL have agreed to advance beyond initial feasibility studies. Provided BULL successfully completes its upcoming in-orbit demonstration of the PMD device, Avio will begin evaluating the potential procurement and integration of BULL's PMD system as a subsystem of hardware deployed on its 'Vega-C' rocket, such as the VESPA (Vega Secondary Payload Adapter). This agreement reflects Avio's recognition of BULL's proprietary technology as a competitive and reliable solution for safe deorbiting.

Photo: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy (left), Prime Minister Takayuki Koishi of Japan (center), and BULL's representative Kyoshi Uto (right)

On June 15, 2026, during a Japan-Italy summit meeting held in Rome, BULL's CEO Kyoshi Uto accompanied Prime Minister Takayuki Koishi and had the opportunity to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. During the meeting, Uto introduced BULL's initiatives in space debris mitigation and explained the strong partnership between BULL and Avio, a leading Italian space company. Prime Minister Meloni expressed deep understanding of the importance of space debris mitigation for ensuring the sustainability of the space environment.

Reference: BULL Co., Ltd. and Avio S.p.A., a leading European rocket manufacturer and launch service provider, signed an MoU for the integration of the 'HORN' space debris mitigation device onto the 'Vega-C' small launch vehicle (January 16, 2025)

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000014.000113020.html

Kyoshi Uto, CEO of BULL

Statement from Kyoshi Uto, Representative Director and CEO of BULL

We are delighted that our collaboration with Avio has progressed from the initial MoU to a more concrete, operational LOI, bringing us closer to the practical implementation of PMD technology in Europe. It was an honor to directly convey to Prime Minister Meloni the importance of space debris mitigation and Japan-Italy cooperation. This moment fills us with pride and a renewed sense of responsibility. BULL will continue to work globally to address the challenge of space debris and advance sustainable space development.

About BULL Co., Ltd.

BULL is a startup with the vision of making interplanetary travel between Earth and other celestial bodies 'ordinary.' The company aims to leverage re-entry technologies to provide affordable and streamlined space utilization services. Based in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, BULL promotes industry-academia-government collaboration. The company is developing devices to prevent the creation of space debris and microgravity experimental satellites and equipment for orbital utilization, contributing to space-related SDGs in a new era of space exploration.

Photo: Commemorative photo for the 3rd anniversary (taken at BULL's Hiraide facility)

Company Name: BULL Co., Ltd. (BULL) Head Office: 43-103 Hiraide Industrial Park, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture Representative: Representative Director / CEO Kyoshi Uto Founded: November 2022 Business Activities: Space debris mitigation, orbital utilization-related services URL: https://bull-space.com/

*As of June 1, 2026, the company's head office address has changed. The new address is '43-103 Hiraide Industrial Park, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture.'

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  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: 企業連携
  • Organizations: AVIO S.p.A. / Vega-C