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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There was a reported loss of nine satellites, seven of which were US satellites, out of the 25 satellites in orbit at the time of Starfish Prime.
The Starfish Prime blast disabled around two dozen satellites, including the British satellite Ariel 1.
Radiation from Starfish Prime impacted the hardware and transistors of Telstar.
The United States tested the W49 thermonuclear warhead during the Starfish Prime test.
The Starfish Prime blast generated a power surge over the Pacific Ocean, destroying about 300 streetlights on Oahu.
The first telecommunications satellite, Telstar, developed by AT&T, was launched just one day after the Starfish Prime test.
Starfish Prime was a high-altitude nuclear test conducted by the United States on July 9, 1962.
The solar panels of Ariel 1 sustained damage during the Starfish Prime test.
The Starfish Otter servicing vehicle will dock with a retired Intelsat satellite in geostationary graveyard orbit during a checkout campaign before docking with and servicing an operational Intelsat satellite.
Starfish Space launched the Otter Pup demonstration mission in June 2023.
Intelsat signed a contract with Starfish Space for a Starfish Otter servicing vehicle to provide life extension services to an Intelsat geostationary satellite beginning in 2026.
Space Systems Command awarded Starfish Space a $37,500,000 Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract to build, launch, and operate an Otter satellite vehicle.
Space Systems Command’s Assured Access to Space organization expanded efforts with Starfish Space, SpaceWERX, Space Safari, and the SSC Commercial Space Office to improve responsiveness, resilience, and strategic flexibility of U.S. on-orbit assets.
The STRATFI agreement for Starfish Space combines $37,500,000 in government funds with an additional $30,000,000 in venture capital investment.
Starfish Space secured a $37,500,000 contract with the U.S. Space Force to develop, launch, and operate the company’s Otter satellite servicing vehicle in geostationary orbit by 2026.
Starfish Space launched a demonstration Otter Pup mission in low Earth orbit in 2023, but the mission suffered an anomaly and was not successfully completed.
Trevor Bennett is a co-founder of Starfish Space and the company intends to collaborate with the Space Force to build capabilities for dynamic space operations.
The Starfish Prime explosion damaged electricity supplies, knocked out streetlights, disrupted telephone networks, and triggered burglar alarms in Hawaii.
One-third of satellites in Earth orbit were damaged and destroyed by radiation following the Starfish Prime explosion.
AT&T’s Telstar satellite, launched on July 10, 1962, was among those destroyed by radiation from Starfish Prime.