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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11NASA’s SSPICY mission launched on Oct. 1, 2026, with a plan for Starfish Space’s washing-machine-sized Otter 24C to approach and inspect up to four inoperable, U.S.-origin objects in low Earth orbit. The spacecraft is expected to begin inspections in early 2027. It will not dock with, repair, or remove its targets: SSPICY is a technology demonstration intended to test capabilities that could support later servicing missions.
What SSPICY is designed to do
SSPICY stands for Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability. NASA’s Small Spacecraft and Distributed Systems program funds and manages the demonstration; Starfish Space developed and operates the Otter 24C spacecraft. NASA also provided earlier development support through its SBIR/STTR program. NASA’s Oct. 8, 2026 mission announcement describes the spacecraft as about the size of a washing machine.
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The mission is planned to approach up to four inoperable U.S.-origin objects in low Earth orbit. NASA gives satellites and rocket bodies as examples, but has not identified the targets. “Up to four” is a maximum, not a promise that four objects will be inspected.
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How the spacecraft will inspect targets
NASA says Otter is expected to navigate to within hundreds of yards of each object, then observe it without making physical contact. Autonomous guidance and control software will use computer vision and sensors to help make navigation decisions in real time, with minimal input from ground controllers. The planned observations include each object’s spin rate, orientation, and surface condition.
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Electric propulsion will move Otter between objects. An articulating robotic boom will test pointing the spacecraft’s thrusters to support precise maneuvers between different orbits. NASA describes SSPICY as the first test of these technologies together as an integrated system.
What the mission will not do
Otter will not touch or dock with the satellites, and SSPICY is not a repair or debris-removal mission. Its role is to demonstrate inspection and navigation capabilities. If those technologies prove useful, future missions could build on them to service, repair, or safely dispose of spacecraft. Those are possible later applications, not SSPICY outcomes.
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Why inspect inactive spacecraft?
Inactive or malfunctioning satellites and rocket bodies can break apart or collide, creating debris ranging from large fragments to small particles. Inspecting an object can help characterize its condition and motion—information that could be relevant to planning a future servicing or disposal mission. Inspection alone, however, does not prevent a collision or remove debris.
What is known—and what is not
NASA reports that SSPICY launched on Oct. 1, 2026, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and says inspection activity is expected to begin in early 2027. The target identities, individual inspection schedule, specific orbital altitude, and inspection results are not provided in the agency’s Oct. 8 announcement. The planned operations may change; NASA’s mission page is the place to check for updates.
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