Intelsat has entered into a contract with Starfish Space to utilise their Starfish Otter servicing vehicle for extending the operational life of an Intelsat geostationary satellite starting in 2026. This agreement underscores Intelsat’s dedication to leveraging satellite servicing technologies to enhance the value provided to its customers, marking Starfish’s first mission to service a commercial satellite operator with the Otter vehicle.
Commenting on the deal, Jean-Luc Froeliger, Senior Vice President of Space Systems, Intelsat, said: “For six decades, Intelsat has shown commitment to innovation and leveraging new technologies from throughout the industry. By engaging with emerging ventures, we create unique value for Intelsat while fostering a dynamic and competitive environment that drives advancement in space systems. Starfish is the perfect example of this kind of progress, and we look forward to utilising the services provided by their Otter satellite to maximise the value the world’s largest geostationary satellite fleet can deliver for our customers.”
The contract between Intelsat and Starfish represents a significant step for both companies, expanding the market for satellite servicing, and pushing the industry towards a new paradigm for satellite operations. With its Otter spacecraft, Starfish Space utilises a small satellite architecture and breakthrough hardware and software technologies to provide rapid, flexible, and cost-effective on-orbit servicing missions for satellites.
Starfish will begin its first servicing mission for Intelsat in 2026. Initially, Otter will dock with and manoeuvre a retired Intelsat satellite in geostationary graveyard orbit. Following this initial operation, Otter will proceed to dock with and provide life extension service to an operational Intelsat satellite, using its onboard propulsion system to keep the client satellite in operational orbit for additional years of life.
Dr Trevor Bennett, Co-Founder of Starfish Space, added: “Starfish Space is delighted to be supporting Intelsat with services provided by Otter. They are an incredible team at the forefront of the industry and the Otter will help them deliver even more to their customers. We’re also excited that this will be the first of many Otters that will make on-orbit servicing a standard part of satellite operations.”
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