Starfish Space will launch its first Otter satellite servicing vehicle next month aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission, the company announced Thursday.
Starfish Space designed Otter vehicles with a flexible architecture for life extension and end-of-life disposal missions. The company said they can operate within multiple orbital regimes and support spacecraft not originally designed to be serviced.
The first Otter scheduled for launch in October will conduct Starfish’s Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability (SSPICY) mission for NASA. Following launch, Starfish will commission the spacecraft and prepare to provide commercial services in low Earth orbit.
“This is the moment Otter becomes real. It’s no longer something we’re designing for the future. The first Otter is built, it has a customer and a mission, and it’s going to space. That’s a huge moment for Starfish and for everyone who has worked to get us here,” said Austin Link, co-founder of Starfish.
