NASA SSPICY: Starfish Space Otter Debris-Inspection Mission, Late 2026
NASA's SSPICY funds Starfish Space ($15M/3yr) to fly the oven-sized Otter (electric propulsion) to inspect multiple consenting US-owned defunct satellites within hundreds of meters; first NASA-funded commercial debris inspection; launches late 2026, inspections 2027
NASA SSPICY: Starfish Space Otter Debris-Inspection Mission
Abstract
NASA's SSPICY (Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability) mission awards Starfish Space $15 million over three years to fly its Otter spacecraft — "a small satellite about the size of an oven" — to inspect multiple US-owned defunct satellites that have agreed to be visited and inspected. Otter uses electric propulsion to travel efficiently between targets and to perform the inspections themselves. NASA describes SSPICY as "the first commercial space debris inspection funded by NASA." The Otter spacecraft is expected to launch in late 2026 and will begin performing inspections in 2027.
Key Contributions
- First NASA-funded commercial debris inspection — supports satellite-life-extension and orbital-debris-hazard-reduction goals.
- $15M / 3-year Phase III SBIR award to Starfish Space (selected after a Phase III study of four US small businesses).
- Otter spacecraft: oven-sized; designed to inspect, dock with, and service or deorbit other satellites; electric propulsion for multi-target travel.
- Inspection profile: Otter will approach within hundreds of meters of each satellite to gather data on spin rates, spin axes, and surface material conditions.
- Technology maturation: matures the ability to perform inspections using electric propulsion — propulsion not typically used for rendezvous/proximity operations.
Results / Timeline
- Launch: expected late 2026.
- Operations: inspections begin 2027.
- Targets: multiple US-owned defunct satellites that consented to inspection.
Limitations
- Inspection-only on this mission (no capture/deorbit demonstrated under SSPICY itself).
- Targets are cooperative-by-agreement, not adversarial/uncontrolled debris — a stepping stone toward harder non-cooperative RPO.
Significance
SSPICY is the inspection half of the same Otter platform Starfish is selling to the Space Force ($54.5M for a dedicated servicing Otter, delivery 2028) and flying in the USSF-23 servicing stack. It hardens electric-propulsion RPO — a NASA-flagged ISAM technology gap — on real defunct satellites, building the sensing layer that both debris removal and servicing depend on.
Sources: Getting SSPICY: NASA Funds Orbital Debris Inspection Mission — NASA Ames; Starfish Space wins $15M NASA award for a SSPICY mission — GeekWire