Overview
- Starfish will launch an Otter tug in 2027 to rendezvous with a PWSA satellite that cannot deorbit itself, lower its orbit, and release it for faster reentry.
- The initial task covers one satellite with options for additional disposals, with SDA selecting the target while Starfish operates the vehicle as a service.
- Otter is built to dock with unprepared spacecraft and repeat the disposal process multiple times, with the company saying capacity could approach ten per mission.
- A launch provider has not yet been manifested, and Starfish is still validating key docking technologies after proximity-operations tests and an Otter Pup 2 flight.
- The award follows SDA study work in 2024–2025 and adds to Starfish’s backlog that includes U.S. Space Force, NASA, and Intelsat/SES contracts.