Starfish Space Awarded $54.5 Million Space Force Contract for Dedicated Otter Satellite Servicing Vehicle

Starfish Space has been awarded a $54.5 million contract to deliver its second Otter satellite servicing vehicle for the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command. The contract was issued under the Pentagon Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies program. It supports delivery of an Otter spacecraft for dynamic space operations in geosynchronous orbit, with the vehicle scheduled for delivery in 2028. The Otter is designed to autonomously dock with and maneuver national security satellites. The spacecraft uses autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations and docking technology, allowing it to service satellites not originally designed for servicing. This marks the second Otter acquired by the command, following the first in 2024 under a Strategic Funding Increase program. In addition to this contract, Starfish Space received a recent award from the Space Development Agency for Otter end-of-life disposal services. Austin Link, co-founder of Starfish Space, said the company is proud to grow its partnership with the Space Force under the APFIT program. He noted that the program helps transition platforms like Otter from development to deployed capability. The award is the only APFIT contract issued to a space company in the current funding cycle and represents one of the largest APFIT awards in the history of the program.