News

Kent, Washington-based company Starfish Space has been granted .8 million by AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force, to further develop its Cephalopod software for satellite guidance, navigation, and control. The award is an extension of the existing collaboration between Starfish and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The contract, known as Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI), follows a .7 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract that Starfish received in 2021. Starfish’s co-founder, Austin Link, expressed excitement in continuing their collaboration with AFRL and believes that Cephalopod has the potential to enable future servicing missions for satellite operators.

Cephalopod is a software platform designed to facilitate autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking maneuvers between satellites powered by electric propulsion systems and other objects in space. The software was integrated into the Otter Pup demonstration spacecraft, which was deployed into low Earth orbit in June. However, the spacecraft encountered an anomaly, causing it to spin at an extreme rate, raising concerns about its ability to perform its planned rendezvous and re-docking with the space tug.

Despite the challenges, the Starfish team has been working diligently to stabilize the satellite and salvage the mission. Ari Juster, the strategy and operations lead at Starfish, confirmed that the satellite remains operational and communication with it is ongoing.

The newly announced contract will further enhance the Cephalopod platform and operate independently of the status of Otter Pup. The initial period of performance for this contract will span 18 months. Starfish’s long-term vision involves developing a full-featured satellite called the Otter, which can be used to service other satellites in orbit, extending their operational lifespan or facilitating their controlled deorbiting.

Since its establishment in 2019, Starfish has secured over million in investments, including a million Series A funding round. In addition to its collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory, the company has also received contracts from NASA and the U.S. Space Force’s SpaceWERX program.

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