Starfish Space has lost contact with Otter 24C, its first satellite-servicing spacecraft, and says the glitch in low Earth orbit isn’t recoverable, Space.com reports. The satellite was still in commissioning, about a month after launch.
Otter 24C launched Oct. 1 on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare, flying NASA’s Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability (SSPICY) demo. The plan was to approach and inspect other objects to prove tech for debris removal and on-orbit servicing. The 739-pound craft never got that far.
My take
In-space servicing is still early and unforgiving. A hard loss, but the work is worth another try.
God Bless, and Use the Source!
