Otter Pup [Starfish Space]
Official name OTTER PUP
Alternative name Otter Pup
Cospar ID 2023-084B
Norad ID 56933
Launch date 2023-06-12
Launch site AFWTR
Launch vehicle Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5)
Country/Organization USA
Type application Technology
Operator Starfish Space
RCS size MEDIUM
Decay date ON ORBIT
Period (min) 94.6
Inclination (deg) 97.53
Perigee (km) 493
Apogee (km) 505
Eccentricity 0.0120240480961924
Mean motion (revs. per day) 15.2219873150106
Semi-Major axis (km) 6877.135
Raan (deg) 250.2369
Arg of perigee (deg) 123.2814
Shape Box + 2 Pan
Mass (kg) 50
Height (m) 1
Width (m) 1
Depth (m) 1
Span (m^2) 1
Contractors Astro Digital (prime), Starfish Space (payload)
Configuration Corvus-Micro ?
Power Solar cells, batteries

Otter Pup is Starfish Space's demonstration mission, which will demonstrate key technologies for their planned Otter satellite servicing vehicle.

Astro Digital is manufacturing the chassis for Otter Pup, which is about the size of a microwave, and Redwire is providing the Argus camera hardware it will use for relative navigation.

Exotrail is providing the electric propulsion thruster for Otter Pup.

The demonstration will test the three core technologies that Starfish will need before it can build its full servicer, Otter:
  • Nautilus, the electrostatic docking mechanism
  • Cephalopod, the guidance control software
  • Cetacean, the relative navigation software
Combined, these three technologies will enable the company to continue building Otter, the full-size servicer. Starfish is targeting late 2024 or 2025 for the first Otter mission.

After separating from the OTV, Otter Pup is due to lock back on with an electrostatic-based capture mechanism Starfish calls Nautilus, before detaching and retreating to a safe distance to conduct other tests.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
OTTER PUP 2023-084B 2023-06-12 AFWTR Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) with W-Series 1, Skykraft Deployer 3, Skykraft 3A, ..., 3D, ICEYE X23, X25, X26, X30, GHOSt 3, Grégoire, Runner 1, Tomorrow R2, QPS-SAR 6, ÑuSat 40, ..., 43, Aces 1, ..., 4, HOTSAT 1, AFR, DROID.001, MuSat 1, ION-SCV 011, Outpost Mission 1, EPICHyper 2, Kelpie 2, Spei Satelles, ELO 4, MRC-100, Unicorn 2I, SATLLA 2I, URESAT 1, Istanbul, ROM 2, Orbiter SN3, Otter Pup, MDQSAT 1C, 1D, Pleiades-Squared, GEI-SAT Precursor, XVI, AII-Delta, Ayris 1, 2, EIVE, Lemur-2 166, 167, 168, MISR-A 1, MISR-B 2, Tiger 4, FOSSASat FEROX 1, ..., 4, SpaceBEE 168, ..., 179