We are proud to announce that our first Otter is going to space! Announced last night at a celebration that brought together hundreds of guests from across the space industry, the launch of our first Otter marks the start of our commercial satellite servicing operations. This is a big moment for Starfish Space. We’ve spent years developing, iterating, and proving out the key technologies required for affordable, available satellite servicing. Now we’re launching Otters, putting our satellite servicing vehicles to work for customers in orbit. Otter is scheduled to launch no earlier than October 2026 aboard the Transporter-18 rideshare mission with SpaceX.

Check out @SciGuySpace 's writeup on Otter’s journey to space: arstechnica.com/space/2026/0…

Tonight we brought together all of Starfish Space along with hundreds of our supporters, partners, and friends to celebrate a major milestone in our company’s history. More to come soon.

Otter Pup 2 is developing a whole new skill, using its onboard sensors and software to fly close to another spacecraft. Just like any new skill, we learn through practice and iteration. For Otter Pup 2, that means: - We build simulations for ground-based testing of what we want to fly on orbit, tuned to match reality and updated with new data from orbit. - Before flying in orbit, our flight software is tested in simulation to predict how it will work and select target checkpoints. - We then take our software to orbit and give it checkpoints to aim for, ranging from decreasing separation distance to “go for docking.” - Maneuvers are executed autonomously, with human operators monitoring and maintaining authority to intervene. - At multiple points, Otter Pup 2 can autonomously pause, reset back to a checkpoint, or egress before continuing. - When we’re ready, we go for final approach, closing the distance at centimeter-per-second relative velocities for precise, controlled docking. This approach allows us to collect meaningful data, rapidly reset and retry with improved algorithms, and make deliberate decisions about when and how to progress. Right now, Otter Pup 2 is iterating through mission checkpoints every day, all bringing us closer to our docking partner.

Our software has been the focus of the Otter Pup 2 mission to-date as it guides Otter Pup 2 safely and steadfastly towards docking. As we get closer, our docking mechanism, Nautilus, will spring into action. As we’ve been doing for partners throughout the mission, we’d like to give a shoutout to our partners at @HB_Robotics, a @blueorigin company. The Honeybee team designed and built the protective clamshell for our Nautilus end effector, shielding it from atomic oxygen, micrometeoroids, and other features of the harsh space environment. They also developed Nautilus’ contact absorber, which helps cushion the initial contact between Otter Pup 2 and its client during docking. These are the kinds of details and collaborations that make complex space missions possible, and we're proud to have Honeybee as a partner on Otter Pup 2.

"As soon as you're able to grab and move a spacecraft, you can do so many other cool things." That simple idea is driving everything we build at Starfish Space. In Episode 4 of our video series, meet the technology making Otter Pup 2 possible: CETACEAN for relative navigation, CEPHALOPOD for autonomous guidance and control, and Nautilus, our universal docking mechanism. The ability for spacecraft to interact unlocks incredible possibilities, from maximizing the value of satellites already in orbit to enabling an entirely new paradigm for the space industry. Check out Episode 4.

Rapid learning and iteration is what Otter Pup 2 is doing on orbit. Code built today is flying tomorrow. At Starfish, we built our flight software from the ground up for rapid, safe deployment. Backed by automated testing and expert review, we can patch on-orbit satellites on the fly without sacrificing safety. The proof? In a typical week, we generate, test, upload, and run multiple software updates to Otter Pup 2, including recent computer vision updates to facilitate relative navigation around @GilmourSpace’s ElaraSat. Rapid software iteration helps us move faster toward docking and to make history! Here is an example of how Starfish software simulation prepares us for orbit:

We see you! Otter Pup 2 has acquired @GilmourSpace's ElaraSat. Acquisition is the moment Otter Pup 2 first detects and begins tracking its client spacecraft using its onboard cameras and computer vision, rather than relying on navigation inputs from the ground. Here's the view from approximately 6.5 km away, captured during our ongoing relative navigation operations. This is the first time an Otter Pup mission has reached this milestone and marks a major step forward in our docking mission.

After successfully approaching within 10 km of ElaraSat, Otter Pup 2 has transitioned into relative navigation. Up to this point, Otter Pup navigated using absolute position information provided from the ground. Now, during the Acquisition phase, it begins navigating based on what it sees - also known as relative navigation. Using Starfish's computer vision software, CETACEAN, Otter Pup detects ElaraSat with its onboard cameras and continuously estimates the client's position and motion relative to itself. This shift from ground-provided data to onboard sensing is a key step toward autonomous rendezvous and docking. Otter Pup 2 is now making navigation observations and maneuvering decisions using its own observations. This autonomous decision-making will continue all the way through Otter Pup 2’s final approach for a docking attempt.

A few weeks ago we announced the docking partner for our Otter Pup 2 mission, @GilmourSpace's ElaraSat. Otter Pup has now made it through Long-Range Rendezvous (LRR), the first phase of our docking mission sequence. During LRR, Otter Pup used Starfish's autonomous guidance and navigation software to close the distance from hundreds of kilometers away to hold at 10 km from ElaraSat. Throughout the approach, the team continued testing, collecting data, and refining software performance in orbit. Now that we’ve completed the first phase of our docking mission sequence, we’re preparing to transition to relative navigation and take pictures of ElaraSat. Stay tuned!

Do you come from a land Down Under? Otter Pup 2’s docking partner does! We are excited to officially announce our partnership with @GilmourSpace, one of Australia's leading space companies, whose ElaraSat MMS-1 satellite will serve as the docking partner for Otter Pup 2. Since launch, we have successfully commissioned Otter Pup 2, maneuvered the spacecraft, maintained communications, and completed a full series of test campaigns and long-distance rendezvous operations in orbit. Now, Otter Pup 2 is healthy, in position near Gilmour's satellite, and ready to enter the final phases of its mission. Over the coming months, we will attempt to dock with ElaraSat. Follow along as we work to make history together!

Why is Otter Pup 2 such a big deal? As our co-founder, Trevor Bennett, shared on the @NYSE Opening Bell Show, it’s not just about a one-off docking mission. It’s about a paradigm shift for the space industry. Historically, docking missions have been complex, expensive, and limited. Otter Pup 2 is testing a different approach: Autonomous, cost-efficient technology built to scale across orbits. Otter Pup 2 is closing the distance to its new docking partner and getting ready to make history. More to come soon!

We’re maneuvering to our new docking partner… and every maneuver in orbit starts with the same requirement: knowing where your satellite is. So where exactly is our new docking partner? For Otter Pup 2, steady, reliable data is what lets us run complex sequences like rendezvous and docking with confidence. Most of that comes from our on-board sensors, but we also bring in outside verification to make sure we’re seeing the full picture. That’s where @LeoLabs_Space comes in. Their radar tracking gives us an independent check on the position of us, and our client satellite. This helps us safely approach to the point where CETACEAN can take over. They’ve supported both of our Otter Pup missions, and we appreciate having that extra layer of insight as we keep pushing into new orbits and more advanced operations.

Thank you @NYSE for celebrating our Series B with us! Tune in tomorrow morning to watch Starfish Co-Founder Trevor Bennett share more about the round and the next steps for Starfish on the NYSE Live Opening Bell Show.

Big news: we just closed a $100M+ Series B. This funding will go toward building and operating our Otter missions, scaling to meet growing customer demand, and expanding our team. We've had a lot to celebrate lately, from missions like Remora and Otter Pup 2 to new contracts with great customers like SDA and the Space Force. And we're just getting started. Our first full Otter mission is on track to fly later this year. Read our full press release: starfishspace.com/press-rele… We’d like to thank our investors for helping us build the future of infrastructure in space. @p72vc, @ShieldCapVC, @IndustriousVC, @nightdragon

Otter Pup 2 is en route to its new docking partner, and we’re excited to share with you soon where it's headed. When we get there, Otter Pup 2 will attempt a first: docking with a commercial satellite in low Earth orbit. This mission represents a historic step forward in on-orbit capabilities. Further updates to come!

Update on the Otter Pup 2 mission:

Check out this Earth image taken by Otter Pup 2 with @Redwire's SentinelCAM technology. Otter Pup 2 was in orbit off the coast of South America looking at Antarctica when it snapped this pic. The thin line visible above Earth is created by glowing molecular oxygen in the upper atmosphere. Camera systems play a critical role in rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking, and we’ve been proud to partner with Redwire for cameras on our Otter Pup missions. Stay tuned for more pics from Otter Pup 2 as its mission progresses!

There is a simple math problem unfolding across the modern defense landscape: Expensive legacy systems lose out over the long term to affordable, rapidly deployable and scalable systems. The same is true for our interactive future in orbit. National security in space needs to work economically, not just technically. We’re focused on making cost-effective satellite servicing a reality with Otter. Listen in as our co-founder, @AustinLink, expands on this and other aspects of the Starfish story with @ShieldCapVC: piped.video/WTpkW50AjQk

ICYMI: This weekend we announced a $54.5M APFIT contract to provide our second Otter satellite servicing vehicle to @USSF_SSC. This Otter will support dynamic space operations in geosynchronous orbit, building on SSC’s first Otter acquisition in 2024 and expanding capabilities for national security space assets. Read more: starfishspace.com/press-rele…