Seattle-based startup Starfish Space is preparing to make spaceflight history next month with the launch of its second mission, Otter Pup 2, which could mark the first-ever commercial satellite docking in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Photo credit Starfish Space
The company announced details of the ambitious mission on Tuesday, May 20. The Otter Pup 2 spacecraft — a compact, software-driven satellite servicing vehicle — is set to launch aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-14 rideshare mission in June.
Unlike previous commercial satellite dockings, which have only occurred in geostationary orbit, Starfish's Otter Pup 2 aims to complete its rendezvous in LEO. The spacecraft will attempt to autonomously dock with an ION satellite operated by Italian space logistics company D-Orbit later this year.
“This mission will further validate our unique approach to satellite servicing: solving complex challenges traditionally tackled with hardware using advanced software,” said Trevor Bennett, Starfish Space co-founder, in a statement. “That lets us build smaller, faster, and more scalable servicing vehicles.”
The target ION satellite will also launch on the Transporter-14 mission, but — like most satellites in orbit today — it was not designed for docking. This makes the upcoming mission a critical test of Starfish’s technology and future servicing capabilities.
The company envisions Otter spacecraft performing a wide range of in-space services, from refueling satellites and relocating them, to de-orbiting obsolete hardware and reducing space debris. Long-term plans also include repairs, upgrades, inspections, and even in-space assembly and manufacturing.
Otter Pup 2 builds on the lessons learned from Starfish’s first mission, Otter Pup 1, which launched on SpaceX’s Transporter-8 flight in June 2023. That mission suffered a setback when the space tug carrying the Otter experienced an anomaly, leading to an early deployment and preventing the planned rendezvous.
Still, Starfish salvaged the mission by demonstrating advanced maneuvering capabilities. In April 2024, Otter Pup 1 successfully approached another D-Orbit ION spacecraft to within one kilometer — an impressive feat for an early-stage servicing vehicle.
With Otter Pup 2, Starfish is poised to take the next leap forward in making satellite servicing routine and scalable. If successful, the mission could open the door to a new era of operational longevity and sustainability in space.
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