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✍️ Notes from the Editors
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Satellite life extension and disposal
Starfish Space is a space technology company that provides servicing to satellites. Through its servicing vehicle, the Otter, Starfish plans to autonomously dock with satellites to repair, relocate, dispose of, or extend their lifespans. In addition to servicing satellites, the Otter also disposes of space debris such as defunct satellites and fragments from collisions. The Otter performs these tasks using CETACEAN, its navigation software; CEPHALOPOD, its guidance and control software; and Nautilus, its docking device.
🔗 Check it out: starshipspace.com
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💰 Business Model
Starfish Space operates on commercial contracts with satellite operators and government agencies, offering its Otters for satellite servicing.
📈 Traction and Fundraising
Over $50 million raised to date; most recently raised a $29 million round, led by Shield Capital with participation from Munich Re Ventures, Point72 Ventures, Booz Allen Ventures, Aero X Ventures, Trousdale Ventures, TRAC Ventures, Toyota Ventures, NFX, and Industrious Ventures
Secured its first three contracts with NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and Intelsat, a major satellite services provider
👫 Founders
Previously Flight Sciences - Simulation Engineer @ Blue Origin, Systems Engineer @ Lockheed Martin, Statistical Analyst @ Team Rankings Aerospace Engineering Master’s @ Purdue University, Physics BS @ Stanford |
Previously Flight Sciences Engineer @ Blue Origin, Graduate Research Assistant @ University of Colorado Boulder, Visiting Technologist @ NASA JPL, Visiting Technologist @ NASA Aerospace Engineering Sciences PhD @ University of Colorado Boulder, Aerospace Engineering PhD and Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering BS @ Texas A&M University |
💼 Opportunities
🔮 Our Analysis
In an endless sea of space, one may wonder: why do we need to clean up after space debris or repair satellites? If space is as infinite as it seems, could we not just let it all drift away? It’s not as if we would run out of, ahem, space to do so.
The problem is, it has cluttered Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with around 6000 tons of materials. Much of Earth’s space debris comes from satellites in its orbit, even after they become defunct. Even though space itself appears endless, Earth’s gravitational orbit zones are not. Every new satellite sent up faces the risk of coming into contact with debris stuck in these zones, which could be disastrous financially and physically. And damaged satellites can turn into space debris themselves, and so begins a terrible cycle.
This is the cycle Starfish Space plans to end. With its servicing vehicle, the Otter, Starfish Space aims to extend satellite lifespans, repair satellites, deorbit space debris, and relocate satellites.
Whether enabling the internet, navigation, weather forecasting, or Earth observation, satellites are a necessity and it is in our collective best interest to look out for them. Deorbiting space debris and relocating satellites lower the chance of collisions, and extending lifespans and repairing satellites simplify the challenge of maintaining our orbital infrastructure.
Financially, Starfish Space’s offerings are compelling. Given that traditional satellites can cost anywhere from $50 million to $400 million, it is much more cost-effective to repair a satellite using the Otter than to spend hundreds of millions to make another. On top of that, Otters are built for reusability, meaning they can service more, further making it financially persuasive.
As of 2020, satellite operators collectively lose $86-103 million a year on satellite collisions with space debris, and the Otter gives them an opportunity to prevent such expensive collisions. It is because of this that Starfish Space has found success. As of right now, Starfish has three contracts with and is developing Otters for the U.S. Space Force, NASA, and Intelsat. With NASA’s contract, the Otter will be able to go on a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) mission to inspect for space debris, and with the U.S. Space Force and Intelsat’s contracts, the Otter can go on missions in Geostationary Orbit (GEO).
We can expect to hear about the Otter’s first mission as soon as 2026 and are excited to see what it can accomplish. The Otter is a solution to a significant issue in space and an essential solution in the upcoming space boom.
📚 Further reading
Written by Mihir Patel
🥲 That’s all, folks
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