NASA-funded SSPICY mission loses communication with Otter spacecraft

NASA and Starfish Space have concluded that the Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability (SSPICY) mission is not recoverable following a loss of communication with the Otter spacecraft. The spacecraft, which launched on Oct. 1, lost contact during its commissioning phase.

Cause of communication loss

According to NASA and Starfish Space, troubleshooting and analysis identified an issue with the spacecraft’s fault protection system. This onboard software, designed to detect and respond to problems, is "keeping the spacecraft’s radio erroneously turned off," according to NASA.

Starfish Space established initial communications with the Otter spacecraft after launch but has been unable to reestablish two-way communication.

Mission objectives and technology

The SSPICY mission was a technology demonstration led by Starfish Space. The mission was designed to achieve several technical goals, including:

• Navigating toward and inspecting inoperable U.S. origin space objects in low Earth orbit.
• Demonstrating advanced propulsion, guidance, navigation, and control technologies.
• Testing an "innovative articulating robotic boom."

This mission represented the first launch and deployment of the Otter spacecraft and the first time Starfish Space integrated its navigation and propulsion technologies into a single spacecraft system.

Future goals and NASA support

The objective of the SSPICY mission is to accelerate industry technologies for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, while providing NASA data regarding the characteristics of orbital debris objects. Starfish Space intends to continue gathering information for NASA on technology performance and orbital debris inspection during future missions.

“Commercial capabilities like Starfish’s are critical for a competitive U.S. space economy and strong American leadership in low Earth orbit,” said Greg Stover, director of the Advanced Research and Technology Division at NASA Headquarters.

NASA's support of the mission is managed by the Small Spacecraft and Distributed Systems program at NASA’s Ames Research Center. The mission is funded by the Advanced Research and Technology Division within NASA’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate.

---

Sources

• nasa.gov: NASA-Funded SSPICY Mission Experiences Communications Loss - NASA

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.