{"title":"Impulse Space vs Starfish Space: Servicing & tugs compared","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/compare/impulse-space-vs-starfish-space","comparison":"Impulse Space ranks 35 on the Space 100 with a score of 78; Starfish Space ranks 58 with 72. Impulse Space is ahead on deployment, production and commercials. Level on progress, technology, positioning, firepower and leverage. Impulse Space is based in El Segundo, United States, Starfish Space in United States. Starfish Space: Early. Impulse Space is named in 49 signals and Starfish Space in 17.","companies":[{"name":"Impulse Space","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/companies/impulse-space","city":"El Segundo","country":"United States","stage":null,"founded":null,"last_round":null,"positioning":"Impulse Space is a US in-space-mobility company (founded by SpaceX's Tom Mueller) whose Mira orbital transfer vehicles have flown commercially since 2023, with a Helios high-energy kick stage (GEO-direct) in development, and it supplies Vast's Haven-1 propulsion. It was admitted to NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 in July 2026 (a first for orbital transportation), making it the in-space mobility category leader. Revenue is estimated at 10-100m (a $500M raise in 2026).","assessed_in":{"domain":"Space","list":"Space 100","rank":35,"score":78,"tier":"member","scores":{"leverage":8,"position":8,"progress":10,"firepower":8,"commercial":6,"deployment":7,"production":6,"technology":8},"why":"Impulse Space builds and operates Mira orbital transfer vehicles that deliver payloads to precise orbits and support rendezvous, satellite servicing and refueling missions.","segment":"Servicing & tugs","layer":"Satellites & spacecraft"},"signals_total":49,"facts_total":41},{"name":"Starfish Space","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/companies/starfish-space","city":null,"country":"United States","stage":"Early","founded":null,"last_round":null,"positioning":"Starfish Space is a US satellite-servicing company (ex-Blue Origin founders) with three demonstration missions flown (Otter Pup 1 and 2 RPO, and Remora with Impulse, a December 2025 autonomous approach to ~1,250m with no human in the loop), and its first operational Otters launching in 2026 for SES, NASA, and the US Space Force. It holds the servicing category's contract stack: a $52.5M SDA award (January 2026, the first-ever contracted end-of-life disposal for a LEO constellation), a $54.5M USSF GEO vehicle, and an Intelsat life-extension contract, though it has not yet performed a commercial docking. It raised a $110M Series B (April 2026, Point72-led, >$150M total).","assessed_in":{"domain":"Space","list":"Space 100","rank":58,"score":72,"tier":"member","scores":{"leverage":8,"position":8,"progress":10,"firepower":8,"commercial":4,"deployment":5,"production":4,"technology":8},"why":"Starfish Space builds autonomous spacecraft tugs for in-orbit docking, satellite servicing and life extension, flown on U.S. Space Force missions.","segment":"Servicing & tugs","layer":"Satellites & spacecraft"},"signals_total":17,"facts_total":11}],"note":"Assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence; facts and signals carry their sources."}