Une petite sonde américaine ira inspecter des étages de fusées abandonnés
Built by Starfish Space, a small craft will approach up to four defunct U.S. objects in low Earth orbit and steer itself with onboard software.
By
Hina Dinoo
In brief
- SSPICY stands for Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability.
- The spacecraft is the Otter 24C, developed and operated by Starfish Space.
- Otter will not dock with or touch any of its targets.
- NASA calls it the first combined test of these technologies as one system.
NASA’s SSPICY mission is testing whether a small spacecraft can pull up close to broken satellites and spent rocket stages, study them and move on to the next one, largely on its own. Liftoff took place on Oct. 1 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and the inspection work itself is scheduled to begin in early 2027.
A small inspector with a long to-do list
The vehicle doing the job is an Otter, built by Starfish Space, which developed and operates the Otter 24C craft flying this mission. Its task list covers up to four inoperable objects of U.S. origin circling in low Earth orbit, a category that includes satellites and rocket bodies. NASA describes the flight as a technology demonstration rather than an operational service.
Funding and oversight sit with the Small Spacecraft and Distributed Systems program, part of the Research and Technology Mission Directorate at NASA. Before that, NASA’s SBIR and STTR programs awarded money to Starfish Space to support early work on the spacecraft’s key technologies and capabilities. For readers curious about how space careers take shape, that path is instructive: a company can build its technology through small federal awards before reaching a flight demonstration.
How a spacecraft inspects without a pilot
Approaching an unresponsive object is not something controllers on the ground can easily steer in real time. So Otter relies on autonomous guidance and control software, with ground teams contributing only minimal input. Computer vision and onboard sensors let the software make navigation decisions as the spacecraft closes in on each target.
Once in position, Otter will collect three kinds of information about each object:
- how fast it spins;
- which way it is oriented;
- what condition its surface is in.
Moving from one target to the next takes propulsion, and the mission tests two ideas here at once. An electric propulsion system lets the craft travel between objects, while an articulating robotic boom will be used to test pointing the thrusters for precise maneuvering between different orbits.
Why crowded orbits need closer looks
Satellites and rocket bodies that develop problems or go out of service can break apart or collide with one another. The result is orbital debris, from large fragments down to small particles. NASA says thousands of satellites are launched each year for communications, weather forecasting, navigation and other services, which makes safe operations in near-Earth space increasingly critical.
According to NASA, SSPICY is the first time these technologies will be tested together as an integrated system, which the agency describes as paving the way for future autonomous servicing and orbital debris inspection.
This flight is about looking, not grabbing. Otter will not touch or dock with any satellite. Instead, it tests the technologies needed to one day service or repair objects in orbit, or to remove them by pulling them into Earth’s atmosphere for disposal.
Photo: T Leish / Pexels
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