RobotRisk › Robot types › Satellite servicing
Robot type · Space robotics · industry Space robotics
Satellite servicing
Type index 21.8/100 · 5 incidents (4 at S4+) · 4 of 24 tracked companies have incidents of this type · 4 tracked products.
Companies ranked within Satellite servicing
| Company | Share of company risk | Rank | Company index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katalyst Space Technologies | 100% | 1 of 4 | 50.5 |
| Space Machines Company | 100% | 2 of 4 | 30.1 |
| Starfish Space | 100% | 3 of 4 | 26.6 |
| Northrop Grumman | 100% | 4 of 4 | 14.7 |
Products
| Product | Company | Robot type | Status | Incidents | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katalyst servicing spacecraft | Katalyst Space Technologies | Satellite servicing | research | 2 | 50.5 |
| Optimus OSV | Space Machines Company | Satellite servicing | research | 1 | 30.1 |
| Otter | Starfish Space | Satellite servicing | research | 1 | 26.6 |
| Mission Extension Vehicle | Northrop Grumman | Satellite servicing | shipping | 0 | 0.0 |
Incidents
| Sev | Date | Company | Type | Location | Incident | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S4 | 19 Aug 2026 | Katalyst Space Technologies | mission-loss | Earth orbit | NASA and Katalyst end Swift Observatory rescue mission after spacecraft failure · 1 spacecraft (Link) | Bloomberg |
| S4 | ~Jul 2026 | Katalyst Space Technologies | malfunction | — | Attitude control and reaction wheel failures leave LINK spacecraft spinning uncontrolled, forcing NASA to abandon Swift rescue/reboost · LINK servicing spacecraft (Swift Rescue Mission) | Ars Technica |
| S2 | 16 Sep 2025 | Northrop Grumman | disruption | — | NASA, Northrop Grumman postpone Cygnus XL arrival to ISS following propulsion issue · Cygnus XL cargo mission | Google News aggregated |
| S4 | 22 May 2024 | Space Machines Company | mission-loss | — | Optimus-1 orbital servicing satellite lost after communications failure · Optimus-1 orbital servicing satellite | psnews.com.au |
| S4 | 12 Jun 2023 | Starfish Space | mission-loss | — | Spinning spacecraft adds unwelcome twist to Starfish Space's docking test mission · 1 spacecraft (Otter Pup / LEO Pathfinder) | GeekWire |
Tracked companies shipping Satellite servicing
AstroscaleAtomos SpaceAule SpaceBlackswan SpaceDeploticGalactivGrowboticsInfinite OrbitsInspeCityKall Morris IncorporatedKatalyst Space TechnologiesKinetik SpaceKurs OrbitalLodestar SpaceMaxar TechnologiesNorthrop GrummanObruta Space SolutionsPAVE SpaceParas Defense and Space TechnologiesRedwire SpaceRogue Space SystemsSpace Machines CompanyStarfish SpaceTurion Space
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