Starfish Space Announces Plans For First Commercial Satellite Docking

Starfish Space plans to perform the first commercial satellite docking in orbit with its Otter Pup 2 mission, aiming to connect to an unprepared D-Orbit ION spacecraft using an electrostatic capture mechanism and autonomous navigation software. NASASpaceFlight.com reports: This follows the company's first attempt, which saw the Otter Pup 1 mission unable to dock with its target due to a thruster failure. The Otter Pup 2 spacecraft will be deployed from a quarter plate on the upper stage adapter of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, placing it into a sun synchronous orbit altitude of 510 km inclined 97.4 degrees. The target will be a D-Orbit ION spacecraft which will simulate a client payload, which is not equipped with a traditional docking adapter or capture plate as you might see aboard a space station or other rendezvous target. Instead, Starfish Space's Nautilus capture mechanism will feature a special end effector connected to the end of the capture mechanism. This end effector will enable Otter Pup 2 to dock with the ION through electrostatic adhesion.

"An electromagnet will be integrated into the end effector and will be used as a backup option to the electrostatic end effector, to dock with the ION through magnetic attraction," the company notes. The goal is to eventually commission its Otter satellite servicing vehicle to allow for servicing of previously launched satellites. The company's first Otter missions include customers such as NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and Intelsat, with the goal of flying those missions as soon as 2026. [...] Following the thruster issues on the first mission, this flight will feature two ThrustMe thrusters, which use an electric propulsion system based on gridded ion thruster technology.

ThrustMe thrusters

[Tx]

As in ThrustMe Bro, it's definitely going to work this time?

Starfish Docking

[drinkypoo]

Not to mention that docking doesn't involve the Starfish, that's a different d*cking word.

Starfish Space?

[nightflameauto]

Anybody else get an instant mental image of a giant starfish orbiting the Earth and pulling in random satellites and other passing vessels?

Hubble

[bill_mcgonigle]

Fun fact: NASA developed a robotic Hubble repair mission before deciding ultimately to do it with the Space Shuttle.

Probably helped ensure continued Space Shuttle funding and nobody got hurt, so perhaps the right call in the overall situation.

So, c. 1991-ish.

It's too bad that technology was shelved for three decades. Shades of Saturn V.

Re:

[necro81]

The opted for human-servicing missions because 1) the Hubble was designed with human-servicing in mind, and 2) no robotic mission (circa early 90s), teleoperated, could have accomplished what the human astronauts could do. Furthermore, the human missions went further: repairing and replacing components that weren't designed to ever be serviced in space. There were all manner of hiccups on all of the servicing missions that required human proprioception (i.e., "this feels rough", even through space suit gl

Re:

[BeepBoopBeep]

If you read the use case for this, this aint to service/fix a mis-aligned giant ass mirror. It either 1) Attaches to a satellite running out of fuel and nudges it around to prolong its life in orbit. 2) Nudge a satellite out of orbit to decommission it.

Already been done.

[Sitnalta]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

The MEV-1 successfully docked with a geostationary satellite in 2020. Completed its mission in April, and is on its way to dock with a second satellite. It uses the engine nozzle as a docking port.

What they're saying is starfish is planning the first commercial docking in Low Earth Orbit, which is a really dumb distinction to make.