Starfish Space, Inc.¶
Tukwila, WA (formerly Seattle). Founded 2019. Small spacecraft satellite-servicing company built around the Otter spacecraft platform and autonomous rendezvous / proximity operations / docking (RPOD) stack. As of early 2026, the fastest-growing company in the SST portfolio — from SSPICY study winner (2023) to $159M+ federal contracts and $150M+ VC in under 3 years.
Last updated: 2026-04-14 (session 27)
SST projects¶
| projectId | Title | Status | Period | TRL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 182206 | Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability (SSPICY) — flight | Active | 2024-08 → 2027-06 | 5 → 9 |
| 155352 | Starfish SSPICY Mission Concept Study | Completed | 2023-08 → 2023-11 | 3 → 4 |
The 2023 concept study (one of 4 parallel SSPICY studies — see also Turion 155353, Vast 155357, Kayhan 155358) led directly into the 2024 flight mission via a NASA Phase III SBIR. Starfish won the flight downselect. The technologyOutcomes Advanced_To / Advanced_From link from the 2023 study to the 2024 flight is the cleanest documented SST study-to-mission transition in the portfolio. Confidence: confirmed.
Mission manifest¶
| Mission | Launch | Status | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Pup 1 / Remora | 2023 (Transporter-8) | Completed 2025 | RPOD demo, first Otter hardware in space |
| Otter Pup 2 | Jun 2025 (Transporter-14) | On orbit | First commercial docking attempt. Originally D-Orbit ION target; D-Orbit backed out late 2025. New partner announced Mar 26, 2026 — identity not yet disclosed. CETACEAN nav + electrostatic Nautilus |
| NASA SSPICY | NET late 2026 | Contracted | Debris inspection in LEO using Otter. 3+ defunct US spacecraft |
| Intelsat GEO life extension | 2026 | Contracted | First commercial servicing: dock with retired GEO sat, then extend operational sat life |
| USAF Otter (STRATFI) | 2026 | Contracted | Space mobility & logistics demo |
| SDA PWSA deorbit | 2027 | Contracted | First dedicated LEO constellation end-of-life disposal. Deorbit PWSA satellite(s) |
| Space Force Otter (APFIT) | 2028 | Contracted | Second Otter for GEO servicing. 2-year operational support option |
Confidence: confirmed (press releases, USASpending, SpaceNews, Via Satellite).
Federal funding — $159M+ total¶
NASA — $14.0M+ across 8+ awards (USASpending confirmed through 2026)¶
| Award | $ | Period | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80NSSC24CA187 | $12.00M | 2024–2027 | SSPICY Phase III — SST flight mission (182206) |
| 80NSSC23CA154 | $1.24M | 2023–2026 | SBIR Phase II CETACEAN — autonomous modular RPOD nav software |
| 80NSSC23CA199 | $199.8K | 2023 | SSPICY concept study (155352) |
| 80NSSC25C0426 | $150.0K | 2025–2026 | SBIR Phase III — Otter as cargo vehicle LEO↔lunar vicinity |
| 80NSSC25C0362 | $150.0K | 2025–2026 | SBIR Phase I — Project Theseus: universal OSAM connector |
| 80NSSC23PB583 | $150.0K | 2023–2024 | SBIR Phase I NAUTILUS — GEO docking hardware |
| 80NSSC22PB200 | $150.0K | 2022–2023 | SBIR Phase I CETACEAN |
DoD / Space Force — $145M+ across 14+ awards¶
| Award | $ | Period | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| APFIT contract | $54.5M | 2026–2028+ | Second Otter for GEO servicing (Space Force SSC, APFIT program). Announced Feb 2026. Not yet in USASpending |
| SDA PWSA deorbit | $52.5M | 2026–2027+ | First LEO constellation end-of-life disposal (SDA). Announced Jan 2026. Not yet in USASpending |
| FA252124C0013 | $25.70M | 2024–2026 | STRATFI — Space Mobility & Logistics, Otter maneuverability (USASpending: $25.7M obligated; press reports $37.5M total STRATFI value) |
| FA881021C0027 | $3.50M | 2021–2023 | Space Pitch Day 2021 (AFWERX) |
| FA864923P0567 | $1.70M | 2023–2024 | CV-based relative nav for RPOD |
| FA864923P0561 | $1.70M | 2023–2024 | Cephalopod flight SW on Astranis microGEO |
| FA864923P0559 | $1.70M | 2023–2024 | Otter servicing + Umbra satellite disposal mission |
| FA864924P0384 | $1.70M | 2024–2025 | MANTA — articulating thruster boom for Otter |
| FA864923P1238 | $1.50M | 2023–2024 | NAUTILUS capture mech. — electrostatic vs gecko |
| FA864922P1027 | $750.0K | 2022–2023 | Otter Space Tug — in-space logistics |
| FA945322CA078 | $250.0K | 2022 | Otter Pup — demo platform for RPOD testing |
| FA945322CA042 | $250.0K | 2022 | NAUTILUS capture mechanism |
| FA864922P0402 | $50.0K | 2021–2022 | Cetacean modular nav framework (AFWERX I) |
| FA864921P1113 | $50.0K | 2021 | Otter Space Tug — new life for old satellites |
| FA864921P0692 | $50.0K | 2021 | Guidance algorithms for EP proximity ops |
Commercial contracts (undisclosed value)¶
- Intelsat — GEO life extension mission, 2026
- SES — servicing mission (mentioned in Series B press release)
Venture capital — $150M+ total¶
| Round | Amount | Lead | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series B | $100M+ | Point72 Ventures, Activate Capital, Shield Capital | 2026 |
| Earlier rounds | ~$50M | NFX, Munich Re Ventures, Toyota Ventures, PSL Ventures | 2019–2025 |
Participants include Industrious Ventures, NightDragon, Nomi Capital, Gaingels, Overlap Holdings.
Total funding (federal + VC): ~$310M+ — making Starfish one of the best-funded satellite servicing companies globally.
Product architecture¶
Starfish's stack is modular; each named sub-system maps to specific contracts:
- Otter — the ~100 kg servicing / debris inspection spacecraft. The platform SSPICY flies on. First demonstrator Otter Pup launched Transporter-8 (Jun 2023). Confidence: confirmed (Remora mission completed 2025, Otter Pup 2 launched Jun 2025).
- Cephalopod — flight software stack (running on Astranis microGEO per FA864923P0561)
- Cetacean — autonomous relative-nav SW (NASA SBIR I+II+III lineage; also AFWERX I)
- Nautilus — universal capture/docking mechanism (electrostatic adhesion for unprepared surfaces). Otter Pup 2 flies electrostatic variant
- Manta — articulating thruster boom for responsive servicing
Growth trajectory — SST portfolio standout¶
Starfish is the fastest-scaling company in the SST portfolio by every metric:
| Metric | At SSPICY study (2023) | Now (Apr 2026) | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal contracts | ~$7M | ~$159M+ | ~23x |
| VC raised | ~$15M (est.) | $150M+ | ~10x |
| Missions contracted | 1 | 7+ | 7x |
| Customer types | NASA only | NASA + Space Force + SDA + Intelsat + SES | 5 sectors |
The SSPICY flight (NET late 2026) remains the NASA anchor mission, but the DoD contracts now dwarf NASA funding ~10:1. This mirrors the Busek pattern (SST seeds → DoD-dominant revenue) but at much larger scale and faster tempo.
Archetype¶
RPOD Dual-Use Flywheel: NASA SST provides the civil-mission anchor (SSPICY) while AFWERX/Space Force/SDA provide the bulk funding for the same underlying platform. The SSPICY win validated the technology for DoD acquisition officers. Each new contract accelerates the next: Otter Pup demo → STRATFI → SDA deorbit → APFIT GEO. The commercial contracts (Intelsat, SES) add a third revenue stream. This is the most successful dual-use flywheel in the SST portfolio. Confidence: confirmed.
Open threads¶
- [ ] Track Otter Pup 2 new docking partner (Mar 2026 announcement — who replaced D-Orbit?)
- [ ] Confirm SSPICY launch date when announced (NET late 2026 per Series B press release)
- [ ] Check NTRS for Starfish-authored conference papers
- [ ] Track SDA/APFIT contract entries in USASpending once posted
- [ ] Monitor Intelsat GEO mission launch (2026)
- [ ] Cross-compare with Northrop Grumman MEP — two competing SST-heritage satellite servicing platforms
Sources¶
- TechPort
techport_get_project([182206, 155352])— session 1 - USASpending
recipient=STARFISH SPACE— session 1 (19 awards), session 27 (confirmed $25.7M STRATFI + $12M SSPICY still current) - GeekWire: $54.5M Space Force contract — Feb 2026
- SpaceNews: Space Force GEO servicing — Feb 2026
- Via Satellite: SDA PWSA deorbit — Jan 2026
- Starfish: Series B press release — 2026
- Intelsat servicing deal — 2024
- Breaking Defense: APFIT second Otter — Feb 2026