Space Impulse Brief:
- Starfish Space launched the Otter Pup mission in June 2023 with the objective to conduct the first-ever docking mission between two commercial satellites in low Earth orbit.
- After more than 15 cumulative hours of nominal firing, Otter Pup experienced a propulsion anomaly.
- The initial findings of a joint investigation led Starfish and Exotrail to conclude that the thruster, Exotrail’s spaceware – nano model, is no longer operational.
PRESS RELEASE — November 11, 2023 — Starfish Space launched the Otter Pup mission in June 2023 with the objective to conduct the first-ever docking mission between two commercial satellites in low Earth orbit. This was an exceptionally challenging mission, an an emergency deployment from an orbital transfer vehicle shortly after launch made it unlikely Otter Pup would be able to attempt docking at all. Through significant engineering effort and collaboration with multiple mission partners, Starfish was able to stabilize Otter Pup on-orbit and begin a series of health checks.
Following initial health checks, Starfish planned a new journey for Otter Pup requiring ambitious maneuvers. Starfish and Exotrail successfully commissioned Otter Pup’s thruster and began this long journey for its contingency mission. After more than 15 cumulative hours of nominal firing, Otter Pup experienced a propulsion anomaly. As a result, Otter Pup no longer has any chance of attempting a docking mission.
The initial findings of a joint investigation led Starfish and Exotrail to conclude that the thruster, Exotrail’s spaceware – nano model, is no longer operational.
The Path Forward
Further investigations into possible root causes of the anomaly are still ongoing. Starfish and Exotrail are committed to conducting a thorough investigation and sharing additional details as they are available.
Exotrail is continuing to expand its customer assistance, both in the commissioning phase, and when shared difficulties are encountered. Exotrail and Starfish are working closely together in a complex situation, strengthening trust for future collaborations. Starfish and other Exotrail customers will benefit from the outcomes of the investigation, along with the continuous improvements and incremental developments made by Exotrail on their state-of-the-art Hall effect propulsion systems.
The Otter Pup has served, and will continue to serve, as a valuable platform for testing and developing Starfish Space hardware, software, and operations technologies and processes, even without fulfilling the docking mission. Moving forward, Starfish will continue to develop the Otter servicing vehicle and focus on continued development of its core rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking technologies. This will include the launch of a second Otter Pup mission at the end of 2024, for which preparation has already been underway for several months.
Starfish and Exotrail adhere to a philosophy of frequent and early testing. This means taking on ambitious efforts like Otter Pup to demonstrate a paradigm-changing design and technologies on-orbit. Many of the programs that underpin the modern space industry were built on this same approach. Starfish and Exotrail look forward to a swift return to orbit with future missions, and are excited to continue to work together.
SOURCE: Starfish Space
Featured image: Credit: Starfish Space
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