The Space Force’s acquisition command is planning a first-of-its-kind logistics mission in 2026 aimed at demonstrating the ability to maneuver and service spacecraft in orbit.
Space Systems Command, in partnership with SpaceWERX — Air Force Research Lab’s space innovation arm — awarded Washington-based Starfish Space $37.5 million for the effort. The company builds and operates a line of satellites, dubbed Otter, that can service other spacecraft. Depending on a customer’s needs, Otter can dispose of defunct satellites or provide additional propulsion or thrust to enhance its mission.
“The Otter spacecraft will be capable of performing autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD), compatible with a wide range of clients, including those that were never designed or configured for docking,” SSC said in a May 20 statement. “This capability gives the U.S. Space Force a range of options to support existing assets and allow future assets to be supported without imposing additional configuration requirements.”
Starfish launched its first Otter Pup in 2023, but the orbital transfer vehicle the satellite had hitched a ride with suffered an anomaly hours after launch. The company plans to launch another spacecraft in 2025.
Col. Richard Kniseley, senior materiel leader in the Commercial Space Office, said on May 17 that while the service sees military value to some degree, it needs to better understand the private sector market for SAML to determine how to move forward.
“Because SAML is still kind of in its infancy, we need to make sure that before the Space Force goes all in, there’s a business case for a commercial company to survive if the government’s not there,” he said.
Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter. She has covered the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. She has reported on some of the Defense Department’s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges.
Source: defensenews.com
