Starfish Space Ends SSPICY Mission After Losing Contact With Otter 24C

Starfish Space said a fault-protection error on Otter 24C’s Astro Digital spacecraft bus switched off the spacecraft’s radio, preventing the company from reestablishing contact and bringing SSPICY to an end.

Key details

• Otter 24C launched on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission on October 1, 2026.
• NASA funded SSPICY as an in-space inspection mission aimed at approaching and inspecting multiple defunct U.S. satellites.
• Starfish said it was changing the Astro Digital bus for future missions to reduce the risk of similar failures.
• Starfish and NASA were considering whether other Starfish missions could complete some remaining SSPICY objectives.

NASA valued SSPICY at $15 million for inspections of multiple defunct U.S. satellites.

Why it matters

SSPICY aimed to demonstrate close-range inspection of satellites that no longer operate. Starfish also reported that its Otter Pup 2 spacecraft maneuvered to within 33 meters of Gilmour Space’s ElaraSat, which launched in 2025.