Starfish Space secures $37M contract for Otter satellite mission

Starfish Space secures $37M contract for Otter satellite mission
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 21, 2024

Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded Starfish Space a $37.5 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract to develop, launch, and operate an Otter satellite vehicle for a docking mission to provide two years of augmented maneuver for National Security Space assets.

In collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) SpaceWERX Program, Starfish Space, Space Safari, and SSC Commercial Space Office, SSC's Assured Access to Space organization aims to enhance responsiveness, resilience, and strategic flexibility of U.S. assets on-orbit.

The Otter spacecraft will perform autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD), compatible with a wide range of clients. This capability supports existing assets and future assets without requiring additional configuration. Advancing RPOD capabilities with scalable architectures like the Otter is crucial for various Space Mobility and Logistics missions.

"This project is another step forward in delivering what our warfighters require in sustained space maneuver," said Col. Joyce Bulson, Director, Servicing, Mobility, and Logistics within AATS. "For a particular class of spacecraft with particular mission sets in GEO, refueling may be the answer to sustaining maneuver; for other systems, augmented maneuver options may be the solution. There is a wide range of applications for Starfish Space's Otter in addition to augmented maneuver, such as station-keeping or life extension, orbital transfer, and ultimately orbital disposal which assures access to key orbital slots while demonstrating responsible norms in space."

The STRATFI program provides additional funds to scale Phase II SBIR efforts for better technology transfer. It leverages private capital investment as a matching source of funds, with performance periods up to four years, to de-risk development of emerging technology and transition research and development into operational capabilities.

Space Systems Command is responsible for acquiring and delivering resilient warfighting capabilities to protect the nation's strategic advantage in and from space. SSC manages a $15 billion space acquisition budget for the DoD and collaborates with joint forces, industry, government agencies, academia, and allied organizations to accelerate innovation and counter emerging threats.