Robot model
Otter
Small autonomous satellite-servicing vehicle (space tug) using electrostatic/Nautilus capture and CETACEAN autonomous-navigation software.
- Manufacturer
- Starfish Space
- Form factor
- space
- Maturity
- pilot
- Lifecycle
- active
- Deployments
- 1
- Website
- starfishspace.com ↗
Deploy Watch
Track Otter on Deploy.
We notify you when a verified state change lands on the record, not when the company issues a claim.
Key facts
Robot
Technology
Focus
Country
Specs
Role
Autonomy
Data & sources
Web sources
2
2 sources backing this record.View all →
Pricing
No verified price is on record for Otter. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.
Deployments (1)
The Otter Pup demonstration mission in low Earth Orbit involved an orbital rendezvous between Starfish Space's Otter and D-Orbit, which was completed to close out the mission.
Otter on the deployment map
Where Otter is verified operating. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Verified media addedVerifiedJun 6, 2026
Starfish Space Otter Pup
- Record createdJun 5, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJun 12, 2023
at Low Earth Orbit (Tiangong Space Station)
Deployment-verified media (1)
Starfish Space's overview of its Otter Pup orbital-servicing demonstration, a small satellite servicer with electric propulsion and autonomous rendezvous and docking. Demo-stage: Otter Pup 1 suffered an early tumbling anomaly that was recovered, and full commercial docking has not yet been demonstrated.
From deployment: Low Earth Orbit (Tiangong Space Station)
Safety record
No incidents on record for Otter.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Sources (2)
Common questions
- What is Otter?
- Small autonomous satellite-servicing vehicle (space tug) using electrostatic/Nautilus capture and CETACEAN autonomous-navigation software.
- How much does Otter cost?
- Otter's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for Otter from Starfish Space. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
- Is Otter actually deployed in the real world?
- Yes. Otter is independently verified in real-world operation on the DEPLOY registry, confirmed at named deployment sites with primary sources: not a concept, render, or demo-only.
- Who makes Otter?
- Otter is made by Starfish Space, based in Tukwila, Washington, USA, founded in 2018.
- Where is Otter deployed?
- 1 verified deployment of Otter is on the DEPLOY registry, including at Low Earth Orbit (Tiangong Space Station).
- Can you buy Otter?
- Otter is in pilot deployments with named customers and is not yet broadly for sale.
- What are alternatives to Otter?
- On the DEPLOY registry, comparable space robots to Otter include Chang'e Lander, Mira, W-Series Capsule, Astrobee.
- How does Otter compare to Chang'e Lander?
- Otter and Chang'e Lander (China National Space Administration · 4 deployments) are both space robots on the DEPLOY registry. Otter has 1 verified deployment on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
- Is Otter a top space?
- On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, Otter ranks in roughly the top 60% of space models tracked by the registry.
- What is Otter's maturity stage?
- Otter is at the pilot stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Pilot stage means at least one named-customer trial deployment is verified.
- Is Otter safe?
- Otter has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-12
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Maturity + lifecycle
Maturity stage: pilot
Lifecycle: active
Architectural position
Cohort: space
Sources by quality tier
- 2
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Otter.Recent coverage
Otter in third-party press
Attention vs reality over time
Media mentions per month (area) against verified deployment events (dots). A press spike over a flat deployment line is the hype gap, drawn over time.
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Otter from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
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Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /models/starfish-space-otter.md
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/models/7ff77b20-4a82-43be-a4fa-11e0d2cd9251
- Revision history: /models/starfish-space-otter/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Reality vs attention
Otter draws attention at the 43rd percentile but verifies reality at the 28th percentile among space robots. Hype Gap +15.6, 10th widest among space robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Thin deployment record; scale validation still in progress.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Jul 21, 2026