Tukwila, Wash.-based Starfish Space has signed a contract with Intelsat to provide on-orbit life extension services to a geostationary satellite beginning in 2026.
It’s the first commercial contract for Starfish’s Otter satellite servicing spacecraft, which is currently under development. The deal follows up on Starfish’s $37.5 million contract with the U.S. Space Force for a satellite docking demonstration.
“Starfish Space is delighted to be supporting Intelsat with services provided by Otter,” Starfish Space co-founder Trevor Bennett said today in a news release. “They are an incredible team at the forefront of the industry, and the Otter will help them deliver even more to their customers. We’re also excited that this will be the first of many Otters that will make on-orbit servicing a standard part of satellite operations.”
Jean-Luc Froeliger, Intelsat’s senior vice president of space systems, said the Otter contract serves as a “perfect example” of Intelsat’s commitment to innovation and new technologies. “We look forward to utilizing the services provided by their Otter satellite to maximize the value the world’s largest geostationary satellite fleet can deliver for our customers,” Froeliger said.
Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed, and Intelsat isn’t saying exactly which satellite will be serviced.
The plan calls for Otter to begin by docking with and maneuvering a retired Intelsat satellite in geostationary graveyard orbit. Then Otter would move on to dock with an operational Intelsat satellite. Otter would use its onboard propulsion system to keep that satellite in an operational orbit for additional years of life.
