Draft:Starfish Space
 | Review waiting, please be patient.
This may take 3 months or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order. There are 1,755 pending submissions waiting for review.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
Reviewer tools
|
Starfish Space is an American satellite company specializing in space rendezvous and satellite servicing based in the Seattle metropolitan area.[1] The company was founded in 2019 by Austin Link and Dr. Trevor Bennett, two former engineers from Blue Origin.[2] The company is currently developing the Otter satellite servicing vehicle with the first two Otter vehicles slated for launch in 2026 on behalf of the U.S. Space Force[3] and Intelsat.[4]
History
[edit]2019-2021: Founding and Initial Development
[edit]After working together at Blue Origin, Austin Link and Dr. Trevor Bennett left the company to found Starfish Space in October 2019, with the aim to develop a small satellite that would be capable of capturing and moving other objects in orbit.[2] In August 2021, the company won a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with the U.S. Space Force for development of autonomous software for satellite proximity operations and docking.[5] In September 2021, the company raised $7 million in seed funding in a round led by venture funds NFX and MaC Venture Capital.[2]
2022-2024: Otter Pup 1 Mission and First Otter Contracts
[edit]In May, 2022, the company won a SBIR contract with NASA for continued development of Starfish's CETACEAN relative navigation software, designed to determine the relative position of spacecraft during proximity operations.[6] In November 2022, the company announced its first demonstration mission, Otter Pup 1, with the goal of docking with another spacecraft in orbit.[7]
In March 2023, the company raised $14 million in a Series A round led by Munich Re Ventures with participation from Toyota Ventures, and Pioneer Square Labs, funding development of the Otter satellite servicing vehicle.[1][2]
On June 12, 2023, Starfish launched its first demonstration satellite, Otter Pup 1, on board the SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission Transporter-8.[8] Otter Pup 1 was attached to an external orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) along with other payloads. Shortly after separating from the Falcon 9, the OTV experienced a software anomaly and responded by emergency deploying Otter Pup 1. This action caused Otter Pup 1 to spin at a rate of over 330 degrees per second. Within two months of this emergency deployment, Starfish was able to stabilize Otter Pup 1 using novel control algorithms developed by the company's engineers.[9][10]
In August 2023, the company was awarded $1.8 million by the U.S. Air Force to support continued development of its guidance, navigation and control software.[11] In October 2023, the company won a contract with NASA to conduct a study for a potential orbital inspection mission.[12]
On April 19, 2024, Starfish's demonstration mission, Otter Pup 1, successfully completed a rendezvous and proximity operation (RPO) mission, capturing an image of a D-Orbit ION spacecraft as it conducted a flyby within approximately 1 kilometer.[13][9]
In May 2024, the company won a $37.5 million contract with the U.S. Space Force to develop, launch and operate an Otter satellite servicing vehicle for national space assets in geostationary orbit.[3] In June of 2024, the company and Intelsat announced a contract to develop, launch and operate an Otter satellite servicing vehicle to provide life extension to an Intelsat satellite in geostationary orbit.[3][14]
Technology
[edit]Starfish Space is known for its development of the Otter servicing vehicle, designed to rendezvous with, dock with, and service satellites in orbit.[14] The Otter vehicle uses advanced robotics and autonomous guidance, navigation and control systems to perform these operations.[12] Starfish technology aims to maximize the value of satellites on orbit, initially by providing backup disposal for dead or malfunctioning satellites, and extending the lifespans of active satellites.[15]
Otter Servicing Vehicle
[edit]The Otter servicing vehicle is equipped with the company's proprietary software and hardware technology, enabling it to autonomously rendezvous with, inspect, dock with, and move objects in orbit.[12]
Software
[edit]CETACEAN: A novel relative navigation system that utilizes computer vision and navigation filtering techniques to determine Otter's position relative to a client satellite or other object in space.[8][12][16]
CEPHALOPOD: Guidance and control (GNC) software that autonomously plans and executes orbital trajectories, guiding Otter to safely dock with a client satellite.[11][12]
Hardware
[edit]Nautilus: A universal docking mechanism that enables Otter to dock with a variety of common, unprepared surfaces found on satellites.[1][8]
Services
[edit]Starfish Space offers a range of in-orbit services, including:[3]
Satellite Life Extension: Through docking and using their own thrusters and propulsion to hold a client satellite in its orbital slot, Otter vehicles can extend the lifespan of satellites.[4]
Satellite Disposal: By capturing and safely deorbiting defunct satellites and debris, Otter vehicles mitigate the risk that such debris would otherwise pose to active satellites on orbit, and allow customers to operate their satellites for longer with the knowledge that Otter can provide backup end-of-life disposal.[3][15][17]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Boyle, Alan (2023-03-08). "Starfish Space raises $14M to advance development of satellite servicing vehicles". GeekWire.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d Boyle, Alan (2021-09-28). "Founded by Blue Origin veterans, Starfish Space raises $7M for satellite servicing tug". GeekWire.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d e Erwin, Sandra (2024-05-20). "Starfish Space lands $37.5 million Space Force contract for on-orbit servicing vehicle". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
- ^ a b Alamalhodaei, Aria (2024-06-26). "Starfish spacecraft will extend the life of an expensive GEO satellite in 2026 mission". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
- ^ Erwin, Sandra (2021-08-20). "Space Force awards $32 million in contracts to startups and small businesses". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ Boyle, Alan (2022-05-27). "Moondust buster? NASA funds far-out research projects, including four in Washington state". GeekWire.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Boyle, Alan (2022-11-09). "Starfish Space reveals ambitious plan to demonstrate satellite docking". GeekWire.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c Boyle, Alan (2023-06-12). "SpaceX launch gives a big sendoff to Starfish Space's satellite docking craft". GeekWire.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Davenport, Christian (2024-06-24). "New heroes of spaceflight: Not the astronauts but the software nerds". The Washington Post.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Alamalhodaei, Aria (2023-08-29). "Starfish Space pulls Otter Pup servicing vehicle back from 'the brink of death'". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- ^ a b Boyle, Alan (2023-08-08). "Starfish Space wins $1.8M to keep working on satellite guidance system for Air Force". GeekWire.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d e Boyle, Alan (2023-10-03). "Starfish Space wins NASA contract to plan demonstration of orbital debris inspection". GeekWire.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Alamalhodaei, Aria (2024-05-07). "Starfish Space and D-Orbit complete orbital rendezvous, bringing Otter Pup mission to a close". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ a b Boyle, Alan (2024-06-24). "Starfish Space signs contract with Intelsat for satellite servicing beginning in 2026". GeekWire.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Link, Austin (2021-08-12). "Op-ed | Clearing space debris is good business". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ Alamalhodaei, Aria (2023-03-08). "Starfish Space captures new funding ahead of orbital servicing demo mission". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ "To keep space safe, Congress must help keep it clean | Editorial". The Seattle Times. 2022-09-19. Retrieved 2024-07-24.