Starfish Space lost contact with its Otter 24C satellite in early November, ending a NASA technology demonstration mission just one month after launch. The spacecraft suffered a fault in its satellite bus provided by Astro Digital, a California company. The glitch disabled the radio and prevented Starfish Space from re-establishing communications. Starfish, NASA, and Astro Digital determined the spacecraft is not recoverable.
Otter 24C launched on October 1 aboard SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare flight, which carried 130 payloads to low Earth orbit. The mission was called Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability, or SSPICY. It aimed to demonstrate technologies for debris removal and satellite servicing and inspection, supporting NASA's in-space manufacturing and assembly goals.
The 739-pound spacecraft was designed to approach and visually inspect up to four inoperable U.S. space objects over two years, but it never completed any orbital rendezvous. Starfish said the data collected during commissioning will contribute to future Otter missions. The company is implementing fixes to prevent similar problems.
Meanwhile, Starfish Space's Otter Pup 2 prototype, which launched in June 2025, approached Gilmour Space's ElaraSat to within 25 meters in late October. The craft completed the "Characterize" phase of its mission and faces one remaining phase: attempting docking. A successful docking in low Earth orbit would be the first between two private satellites at that altitude.