内容来源：https://www.geekwire.com/2026/starfish-space-satellite-disposal-space-development-agency/

内容总结：

美国太空军下属的太空发展局近日与初创企业Starfish Space签订了一份价值5250万美元的商业合同，委托该公司为低地球轨道上的军用卫星星座提供退役离轨服务。这标志着全球首个商业卫星"离轨即服务"项目正式落地。

根据合同，Starfish Space将于2027年开始为美国国防部的"扩散型作战人员太空架构"星座提供卫星离轨服务。该星座主要为军事任务提供全球通信接入和加密连接。公司联合创始人特雷弗·贝内特强调，这并非研发项目，而是可规模化推广的实际服务，验证了商业航天服务的新模式。

该公司正在研发名为"水獭"的太空服务飞行器，其大小相当于家用烤箱，能够捕获未预装专用接口的卫星，将其拖拽至安全轨道或离轨坠入大气层。贝内特形象地比喻其功能如同"太空拖车"，既延长在轨卫星寿命，又能及时清理太空垃圾。

除离轨服务外，"水獭"系列航天器还具备轨道调整、在轨维护等多种功能。目前该公司已获得多个重要合同：包括为SES公司在静止轨道提供卫星延寿及墓地轨道转移服务、承接美国太空系统司令部3750万美元的国家安全资产在轨操控任务，以及执行NASA1500万美元的失效卫星近距离观测项目。

2024-2025年间，该公司已成功完成"水獭幼崽"原型机的部分测试，第二代原型机目前正在轨运行。贝内特透露，今年将有多艘"水獭"系列航天器发射入轨，开启商业运营的新阶段。这笔合同的支付将采用里程碑式付款方式，首笔款项将覆盖首次离轨操作前的所有成本。

中文翻译：

海星航天公司（Starfish Space）近日获得美国太空军太空发展局一份价值5250万美元的合同，负责在军用卫星寿命终结时进行离轨处理。

这家位于华盛顿州塔克维拉的初创企业表示，这是全球首个为近地轨道卫星星座提供"离轨即服务"的商业合约。本次服务对象是美国国防部的"扩散型作战人员太空架构"星座，该星座为军事任务提供全球通信接入和加密连接服务。

根据合同要求，海星航天将于2027年启动卫星离轨服务。公司联合创始人特雷弗·贝内特向媒体表示："这不是研发项目，而是实际运营服务。这种服务模式既能满足该星座的规模化需求，也适用于整个行业。"他指出，这份合约既验证了太空发展局建设维护星座的技术路线，也证明了"我们与整个行业共同发展的可行性"。

海星航天正在研发名为"水獭"的航天器，它能捕获其他卫星、调整其轨道、释放目标后继续执行任务。在执行离轨任务时，"水獭"会将目标卫星送入大气层再入轨道，避免对其他轨道资产构成威胁。该系统的显著优势在于：目标卫星无需预先安装专用对接装置。

这套系统为卫星寿命末期的处理提供了新方案。目前大多数卫星运营商只能在推进系统仍能工作时执行离轨操作，否则就要面临航天器沦为不可控太空垃圾的风险。贝内特将"水獭"比作拖车："当旧车需要报废时，我们可以随时提供拖运服务。我们并非要取代常规操作，而是通过增强和延伸服务，让星座中的卫星能运行更长时间。待其结束使命需要处置时，我们可将其转移至合适的销毁轨道。"

此次合约建立在早前获得的任务研究合同基础上，该研究项目于2024至2025年对相关概念进行了论证。5250万美元合同金额将分期支付：首笔款项用于覆盖首次离轨操作前的成本，此后将根据实际服务情况结算。出于保密考虑，贝内特未透露具体财务细节。

"水獭"的功能不仅限于离轨服务。这个烤箱大小的航天器还能改变卫星轨道或进行在轨维护。公司另一位联合创始人奥斯汀·林克在新闻稿中表示："通过'水獭'系统，我们大幅降低了跨轨道卫星维护的成本和复杂度。这份合约既体现了可负担维护任务的价值，也证明了'水獭'系统的技术成熟度。"

2024年，海星航天对首台"水獭幼崽"原型机进行了部分测试。第二台原型机"水獭幼崽2号"于2025年中发射升空，目前正在开展包括卫星对接尝试在内的多项测试。贝内特透露："该航天器状态良好且持续运行，正在实现更多任务里程碑。"

公司另有三个项目同步推进：

• 计划派遣"水獭"航天器前往地球静止轨道，与SES公司退役卫星对接并将其转移至坟墓轨道，随后再与另一颗SES卫星对接，利用自身推进系统延长该卫星工作寿命（该合约最初与国际通信卫星公司签订，后者于去年被SES收购）。
• 太空军太空系统司令部授予海星航天3750万美元合同，要求派遣专用"水獭"航天器对地球静止轨道的国家安全资产进行对接与轨道调整。
• 根据美国宇航局2024年授予的三年期1500万美元合同，另一艘"水獭"航天器将对近地轨道的失效卫星进行近距离检测。

贝内特表示："这些'水獭'航天器都在建造测试中，其中部分将于今年发射升空。现在正是激动人心的时刻，'水獭'即将进入太空，开始作为商业航天器提供服务。"

英文来源：

Starfish Space has secured a $52.5 million contract from the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency to dispose of military satellites at the end of their operational lives.
The Tukwila, Wash.-based startup says it’s the first commercial deal ever struck to provide “deorbit-as-a-service,” or DaaS, for a satellite constellation in low Earth orbit. In this case, the constellation is the Pentagon’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, which provides global communications access and encrypted connectivity for military missions.
The contract calls for Starfish Space to launch the satellite disposal service in 2027.
“This is not research and development. This is an actual service, in a structure that allows that service to scale for this constellation, for an entire industry,” Starfish Space co-founder Trevor Bennett told GeekWire. He said the arrangement validates the Space Development Agency’s approach to building and maintaining its constellation, and also validates “the path that we can take with the industry at large.”
Starfish is developing a spacecraft called Otter that would be able to capture other satellites, maneuver them into different orbits, release them and then move on. In a deorbiting scenario, Otter would send the target satellite into a trajectory for atmospheric re-entry that wouldn’t pose a risk to other orbital assets. Starfish’s system doesn’t require the target satellite to be pre-outfitted with specialized hardware — which is a significant selling point.
The system provides an alternative to what typically happens to satellites toward the end of their lives. Today, most satellite operators either have to execute a deorbiting maneuver while they’re sure that the propulsion system still works, or risk having their spacecraft turn into unmanageable space junk.
Bennett compared Otter to a tow truck that can be brought in to carry away an old vehicle when it really needs to be scrapped.
“With the tow truck kind of capability, we can provide that service as needed, but we are not trying to replace normal operation,” he said. “We are augmenting it and extending it so the satellites that are being flown in that constellation can go fly longer. … Once it’s done operating and it’s time to dispose, we can provide that transit to the right disposable altitude.”
Starfish’s deal with the Space Development Agency builds on a previously awarded mission study contract that supported work on the concept in 2024 and 2025. The $52.5 million won’t be paid out all at once. An initial payment will cover costs leading up to the first deorbiting operation, and from then on, the agency will pay Starfish for services rendered. Bennett declined to provide further financial details, citing confidentiality.
Otter’s capabilities aren’t limited to deorbiting satellites. The oven-sized spacecraft could also be used to change a satellite’s orbital path, or bring it in for servicing. “With Otter, we’ve dramatically reduced the cost and complexity of satellite servicing across orbits,” Austin Link, Starfish Space’s other co-founder, said in a news release. “This contract reflects both the value of affordable servicing missions and the technical readiness of the Otter.”
Starfish conducted a partial test of its first Otter prototype, known as Otter Pup, in 2024. A second prototype, Otter Pup 2, launched in mid-2025 and is currently undergoing tests that could include a satellite docking attempt. “That vehicle remains healthy and operational, and is actually progressing through some additional mission milestones,” Bennett said.
Three other projects are in the works:

• Starfish is due to send an Otter spacecraft to hook up with a retired SES satellite in geostationary Earth orbit, or GEO, and maneuver it into a graveyard orbit. The Otter would then dock with a different SES satellite and use its onboard propulsion system to keep that satellite in an operational orbit for additional years of life. (The deal was originally struck with Intelsat, but that company was acquired by SES last year.)
• The Space Force’s Space Systems Command awarded Starfish Space a $37.5 million contract that calls for a different Otter spacecraft to dock with and maneuver national security assets in GEO.
• Yet another Otter is due to conduct up-close inspections of defunct satellites in low Earth orbit under the terms of a three-year, $15 million contract awarded by NASA in 2024.
  “Those Otters are all under construction and in testing,” Bennett said. “Actually, we’ll see a couple of those launched this year. And so this is an exciting time, where Otters are about to go to space and start operating as commercial vehicles.”