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Starfish Space, based in Kent, Washington, has been awarded a .8 million contract by AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force. This funding will support the continued development of their Cephalopod software, designed for satellite guidance, navigation, and control. This contract builds upon previous collaborations between Starfish and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The contract, known as a Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI), follows a .7 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract that Starfish received in 2021. The company’s strategy and operations lead, Ari Juster, expressed enthusiasm for the continued collaboration with AFRL and highlighted the potential of Cephalopod in enabling future servicing missions to benefit satellite operators.

Cephalopod is a software platform that enables satellites equipped with electric propulsion systems to autonomously rendezvous, conduct proximity operations, and execute docking maneuvers with other objects in space. The software is integrated into Otter Pup, a demonstration spacecraft deployed into low Earth orbit in June.

During the deployment, Otter Pup encountered an anomaly that caused it to spin at an extreme rate. While it was unclear if the spacecraft could carry out its planned rendezvous and re-docking with the space tug, the Starfish team has been working diligently to stabilize the satellite and salvage the mission. Despite the challenges, communication with Otter Pup has been maintained.

The newly announced contract will complement the Otter Pup mission and allow Starfish to make significant improvements to the Cephalopod platform. The performance period of the contract is 18 months and is not dependent on the status of Otter Pup. Starfish’s long-term plan involves developing a full-featured satellite called Otter, capable of servicing other satellites in orbit to extend their operational lifespan or facilitate their controlled deorbiting.

Since its founding in 2019 by Austin Link and Trevor Bennett, former employees of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, Starfish has raised over million in investment. This includes a million Series A funding round announced earlier this year. In addition to their collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory, Starfish has secured contracts with NASA and the U.S. Space Force’s SpaceWERX program.

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