26 March 2026 year, the American company Starfish reported, that changed the destination for Otter Pup 2 — spacecraft, launched in June 2025 year to demonstrate the possibility of docking with a satellite not equipped with a docking device. Otter Pup 2 designed to test rendezvous and docking operations with spacecraft, which do not have an interface for docking. It is equipped with an electrostatic gripping mechanism, which can attach to a flat surface on the spacecraft.
For reference: Starfish Space is a private space company, founded in 2019 year by former Blue Origin engineers, which specializes in autonomous convergence technologies, docking and maintenance of satellites in orbit.
At the end 2025 of the year initial partner of Otter Pup 2 from docking suddenly stopped cooperation on the mission due to circumstances, beyond the responsibility or control of Starfish. The company reported, that the craft will attempt to dock with D-Orbit's ION spacecraft. Both of them were launched together on a SpaceX rideshare mission.
Starfish Space reported, which approached "a wide range of alternative docking partners" and eventually found a new partner, whose name will be released later. The company has already conducted maneuvers, to begin Otter Pup's journey 2 to a new docking partner, and expects to resume convergence and close approach operations in the coming months, after which the scheduled docking attempt should take place.
Source: https://spacenews.com