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NASA’s SSPICY mission launched on Oct. 1, 2026, to test how a spacecraft can approach and inspect inactive objects in low Earth orbit. Its Otter 24C spacecraft—about the size of a washing machine—is expected to begin inspection approaches in early 2027. NASA says it may visit up to four U.S.-origin objects, but SSPICY will not dock with, repair, or remove them.
What NASA’s SSPICY mission will do
SSPICY stands for Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability. The NASA-funded technology demonstration uses Starfish Space’s Otter 24C spacecraft to gather information about inoperable objects in low Earth orbit. NASA describes satellites and rocket bodies as possible target types, but has not identified the individual objects.
Otter is expected to approach each object to within hundreds of yards and inspect it from a distance. The mission is designed to demonstrate an integrated system for navigating near an object and observing its condition—not to interact with the object physically.
How the spacecraft will approach and inspect objects
Autonomous navigation and observation
As Otter nears a target, autonomous guidance and control software is expected to use computer vision and onboard sensors to make real-time navigation decisions, with minimal input from ground controllers. NASA says the spacecraft will seek information such as an object’s spin rate, orientation, and surface condition.
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Moving between different orbits
Electric propulsion will help Otter travel from one object to another. An articulating robotic boom will test pointing the spacecraft’s thrusters to support precise maneuvers between different orbits. NASA says SSPICY will test these technologies together as an integrated system for the first time.
What SSPICY will not do
Otter will not touch or dock with the objects. It will not repair them or remove them from orbit. The distinction matters: SSPICY is intended to demonstrate inspection and maneuvering capabilities that future missions might build on, not to service or dispose of its targets.
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Why inspect inactive spacecraft and rocket bodies?
Objects that are no longer operating or have developed problems can break up or collide, creating debris ranging from large fragments to small particles. Close-range inspection can help characterize an object and develop capabilities that may support future servicing, repair, or safe disposal, such as moving an object into Earth’s atmosphere. Those are possible applications for later missions; SSPICY itself performs no repair or removal.
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NASA says SSPICY launched on Oct. 1, 2026, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, with inspection activity expected to begin in early 2027. NASA’s Small Spacecraft and Distributed Systems program funds and manages the demonstration. Starfish Space developed and operates Otter 24C; NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs provided earlier awards to support development of key spacecraft technologies.
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The planned date is forward-looking and could change. NASA’s Oct. 8, 2026 mission announcement does not name the target objects, provide their specific orbital altitude, give a target-by-target schedule, or report inspection results.
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