Starfish Space, founded in 2019, is a space technology company focused on on-orbit satellite servicing. They are developing the "Otter" servicer vehicle to provide services like life extension and debris removal for satellites in both Geostationary orbit (GEO) and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). Starfish Space has contracts with Intelsat and the U.S. Space Force, positioning themselves as a key player in the emerging in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) market.
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Starfish Space executed a previously awarded competitive mission study contract for the Space Development Agency throughout 2024–2025.
Otter is designed to capture and deorbit satellites without requiring any prior modifications, allowing Starfish Space to service existing and future spacecraft deployed or planned within the PWSA constellation.
Under the contract, Starfish Space will build, launch, and operate an Otter spacecraft in low Earth orbit to dispose of SDA satellites at the end of their operational lives.
The U.S. Space Force Space Development Agency awarded a $52.5 million contract to Starfish Space to provide Deorbit-as-a-Service for satellites within the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
Starfish Space received a contract from the U.S. Space Development Agency on January 21, 2026, for providing deorbit services to a defense-related satellite constellation in low Earth orbit.
Starfish Space will use its Otter spacecraft to deorbit operational satellites from the PWSA and plans to launch it in 2027.
The contract amount for Starfish Space is $52.5 million, making it the first dedicated mission for deorbiting LEO satellite constellations.
The SDA award is Starfish Space’s second contract with the U.S. Space Force.
Starfish Space will build an Otter spacecraft targeted for launch in 2027.
Starfish Space identified the $52.5 million award as the first contracted mission specifically for end-of-life satellite disposal services compared with typical missions that treat disposal as a one-off or a demonstration.
Starfish Space’s Otter spacecraft is capable of servicing multiple satellites in a single mission.
Starfish Space will launch an Otter spacecraft for the deorbit mission in 2027, and the Otter spacecraft can deorbit multiple satellites in a single flight.
The U.S. Space Force awarded Starfish Space a $52.5 million contract to deorbit satellites in the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture constellation when those satellites reach their expiration dates.
Space Systems Command awarded Starfish Space a $52.5 million contract to provide end-of-life disposal services for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
Under the Starfish Space contract, the Department of Defense can continue procuring deorbit services beyond the initial deorbit mission.
The Space Development Agency awarded Starfish Space a $52.5 million contract to perform end-of-life deorbiting for a satellite in the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture with options for additional deorbits.
Starfish Space received a 2024 contract to dock with and augment maneuvers for a national security space asset, and that mission to Geostationary Orbit is set to launch in 2026.
The contract with Starfish Space covers end-of-life satellite disposal services for satellites in the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture constellation.
Starfish Space builds the Otter spacecraft servicing vehicle.
In 2024 the Space Development Agency awarded six study contracts worth a combined $1.9 million to Starfish Space, Arkisys, Impulse Space, Quantum Space, Sierra Space, and SpaceWorks Enterprises to study the feasibility of deorbiting PWSA satellites.