US Space Force taps Starfish Otter for first-ever satellite disposal contract

The U.S. Space Force awarded Starfish Space a $52.5 million contract to deorbit satellites using the Otter servicing spacecraft—the first end-of-life disposal deal for a large low-Earth orbit constellation. Starfish aims to launch Otter by 2027 to retrieve and dispose of at least one (potentially more) satellites within the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture network, signaling a shift toward affordable, repeatable satellite servicing in orbit.