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Incident · Malfunction

Vast Orbiter SN3 spacecraft spins out of control after SpaceX Transporter-8 deployment

Vast's Orbiter SN3 space tug was deployed from SpaceX's Falcon 9 Transporter-8 mission on June 12, 2023, but began improperly spinning at 60 rpm. The company elected to immediately deploy all small sat payloads on board. The malfunction prevented the Otter Pup docking mission with Starfish Space from being accomplished. The failure caused a delay of the Orbiter SN5 mission from fall 2023 to February 2024.

Occurred 2023-06-21 · Vast Space

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Sources (2)

  1. https://www.geekwire.com/2023/spinning-spacecraft-starfish-space-docking-test/ · 2023-06-21
  2. https://spacenews.com/second-orbiter-transfer-vehicle-malfunctions/ · 2023-06-23

Status history

  • resolved · 2023-06-21

Common questions

What happened in Vast Orbiter SN3 spacecraft spins out of control after SpaceX Transporter-8 deployment?
Vast's Orbiter SN3 space tug was deployed from SpaceX's Falcon 9 Transporter-8 mission on June 12, 2023, but began improperly spinning at 60 rpm. The company elected to immediately deploy all small sat payloads on board. The malfunction prevented the Otter Pup docking mission with Starfish Space from being accomplished. The failure caused a delay of the Orbiter SN5 mission from fall 2023 to February 2024.
When did this incident occur?
The incident is recorded as occurring on June 21, 2023 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.
Who was involved in Vast Orbiter SN3 spacecraft spins out of control after SpaceX Transporter-8 deployment?
The incident is recorded as involving Vast Space on the DEPLOY registry. No specific robot model is linked to this incident in the registry.
Has anyone responded to Vast Orbiter SN3 spacecraft spins out of control after SpaceX Transporter-8 deployment?
No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.
What is the current status of Vast Orbiter SN3 spacecraft spins out of control after SpaceX Transporter-8 deployment?
This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.
Methodology: Unreviewed · 2 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-07

Verification posture

Unreviewed

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-08-07

Sources by quality tier

2
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Vast Orbiter SN3 spacecraft spins out of control after SpaceX Transporter-8 deployment.

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Canonical ID 058ccc0e-7905-4ba5-86c8-9dee2f7797b2