In a remarkable turn of events, Starfish Space has defied all odds by successfully recovering its inaugural orbital mission, rescuing the Otter Pup spacecraft from a perilous tumble through space. The pioneering startup, headquartered in Kent, Washington, announced on Tuesday its triumphant restoration of control over the spacecraft, which had been precariously spinning out of control.
Having narrowly escaped catastrophe, Starfish Space is now set to embark on an “extensive checkout” of the spacecraft’s internal systems while searching for a new collaborator for its rendezvous, proximity, and docking (RPD) mission. This mission appeared destined for failure in June, as Starfish was among the companies that had secured passage to orbit through Launcher’s space tug (now under Vast ownership). Shortly after reaching Earth’s low orbit, the space tug encountered a glitch, compelling Launcher’s mission controllers to trigger an emergency release of all payloads on board.
This emergency maneuver gave the Otter Pup a survival chance. It plunged the craft into an uncontrolled spin, rotating at an astonishing rate of over one full rotation per second—far surpassing the typical design threshold of one to two degrees per second for spacecraft. Although the spin rate gradually subsided due to electromagnetic and atmospheric drag, it became evident that this alone wouldn’t fully stabilize the spacecraft. Starfish’s ingenious engineers set to work conceiving, developing and ultimately executing a strategy that hinged on leveraging the spacecraft’s magnetic torque rods. This novel approach involved using these rods to create a counterforce against Earth’s atmosphere, effectively nudging the Otter Pup out of its tumble and initiating a gradual descent to stability.
This achievement was no small feat, particularly in challenging circumstances. According to a statement released on Tuesday, the startup revealed that the Otter Pup underwent a series of low-power events that brought it to the brink of shutdown. Through collaborative efforts with mission partners Astro Digital and Advanced Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of Rocket Lab, Starfish managed to reorient the spacecraft, allowing it to recharge its power reserves.
