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Starfish Space wins SDA contract and conducts close-proximity operations near Australian satellite. US-based Starfish Space has reported two developments in its autonomous satellite servicing programme, securing a US$52.5 million contract with the US Space Development Agency (SDA) and demonstrating close-proximity operations near an Australian-built satellite in low Earth orbit. The developments highlight the growing importance of autonomous spacecraft technologies for satellite servicing, orbital debris mitigation and the management of increasingly complex military and commercial satellite constellations. Starfish Space announced it had been awarded a contract worth up to US$52.5 million to build, launch and operate an Otter spacecraft to provide end-of-life disposal services for the SDA's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The company said the agreement is a dedicated end-of-life disposal contract for a low Earth orbit satellite constellation, representing an emerging application of commercial in-orbit servicing technology. The PWSA is being developed as a distributed constellation of satellites designed to support US military communications, missile warning and tracking, and other operational requirements. The architecture uses large numbers of interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit to improve resilience and reduce reliance on individual high-value spacecraft. Under the contract, Starfish Space will develop an Otter spacecraft capable of conducting end-of-life disposal operations, potentially allowing satellites to be retired without relying entirely on their remaining onboard propulsion capabilities. The technology could help constellation operators maximise the operational lives of their satellites while reducing the risk of defunct spacecraft contributing to orbital congestion and debris. In a separate development, Starfish Space reported that its Otter Pup 2 demonstration spacecraft is now regularly conducting autonomous close-proximity operations approximately 200 metres from ElaraSat, a satellite developed by Australia's Gilmour Space Technologies. Otter Pup 2 has progressively reduced its separation from ElaraSat from thousands of kilometres to hundreds of metres while testing and validating its autonomous navigation and tracking capabilities. The spacecraft is capturing images of ElaraSat and using the resulting observations to estimate and predict the satellite's position and orientation, supporting continued autonomous operations at close range. Starfish Space said the demonstration places Otter Pup 2 among a relatively small number of spacecraft to have achieved comparable autonomous proximity operations. The company also indicated that the mission will continue to pursue closer approaches as it tests the performance and reliability of its autonomous rendezvous technology. The demonstration is particularly relevant to the development of satellite servicing systems that must operate around spacecraft not originally designed to support docking, inspection or external intervention. Autonomous proximity operations require a servicing spacecraft to accurately determine the relative position, movement and orientation of another object while maintaining sufficient control to avoid unintended contact. These capabilities are fundamental to future satellite inspection, life-extension and disposal missions, where servicing vehicles may need to approach satellites with limited or no dedicated docking infrastructure. The involvement of Gilmour Space Technologies' ElaraSat also highlights Australia's contribution to the development and demonstration of emerging orbital servicing capabilities, although Starfish Space is conducting the autonomous operations. Together, the SDA contract and Otter Pup 2 demonstration illustrate the transition of autonomous satellite servicing from experimental spacecraft operations towards contracted defence applications. For military satellite operators, these capabilities could provide greater flexibility in maintaining and retiring spacecraft across large constellations. For commercial operators, they could support new approaches to satellite lifecycle management and compliance with orbital debris mitigation requirements. The ability to conduct reliable autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations is also strategically relevant as governments and commercial operators seek to maintain access to increasingly congested orbital environments. While Starfish Space has demonstrated close-proximity navigation and secured a significant disposal services contract, the successful execution of operational end-of-life missions will remain an important test of the technology's commercial and military readiness. The two developments nevertheless signal growing momentum behind autonomous in-orbit servicing as a potential component of future space infrastructure.

Starfish Space raises over $100 million in Series B funding to scale its otter business line. Starfish Space has raised over $100 million in a Series B funding round led by Point72 Ventures, Activate Capital and... Starfish Space has raised over $100 million in a Series B funding round led by Point72 Ventures, Activate Capital and Shield Capital, as well as additional participation from Industrious Ventures and NightDragon. Membership required. You must be a member to access this content. Joshua Faleti. Kofoworola Joshua Faleti is the News Editor. He enjoys talking and learning about space and wants to talk about space to anyone who cares to listen. Joshua is interested in Space Law and Policy and how Space can positively impact human lives. Joshua is also a big music lover.