The Astro Restoration Project -- or "ARP" for short, began as a labor of love, with personnel who worked the Astro missions rescuing the Astro Cruciform and other flight hardware from government property auctions and collectors, following the end of the Spacelab Program. That hardware remained in storage for over 20 years.

In October 2020, the ARP was formed, and, in November 2020, the ARP established a partnership with the US Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) for the restoration of the Astro Payload. Immediately after that partnership was established, work started on the restoration of the Astro Cruciform and its support hardware at the USSRC.

In February 2022, the first of the Astro ultraviolet telescopes, the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE) was re-integrated with the Astro Cruciform. It is expected that the two remaining ultraviolet telescopes will join WUPPE later this year.

An all volunteer organization, the ARP gained its 501c3 non-profit status in early 2022, and is dedicated to promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education through restoration and preservation of the Astro Payload.