OTTER (MSAE-OTTERS) Spacecraft

Satellite name	OTTER (Optical Traffic Tracking Experiment for Responsive Space, MSAE-OTTERS)
Spacecraft type	CubeSat
Units or mass	3U
Status	Operational? (No news or amateur receptions found, last checked 2025-12-24)
Launched	2025-11-28
NORAD ID	?
Deployer	EXOpod Nova 12U/16U [Exolaunch]
Launcher	Falcon 9 (Transporter-15)
Entity name	DLR (German Aerospace Center)
Institution	Space agency
Entity type	Government (Civil / Military)
Headquarters	Germany
Manufacturer	AIVT by German Orbital Systems
Operator	German Orbital Systems
Partners	DLR Competence Center for Responsive Space Cluster Compentence Center (RSC³)
Oneliner	Picks up AIS (Automatic Identification System) signals from co-operating ships and takes optical images of the transmitter area.
Description	Develop a small satellite within just nine months and start. For this, the typical development and provision processes need to be accelerated, from which future satellite developments should benefit.
Sources	[1] [2] [3] [4]
Photo sources	[1] [2] [3]
Keywords	Propulsion, AIS, License Plate Identification Tag
On the same launch	3UCubed 6GStarLab Accenture-1 AE5Ra AE5Rb AE5Rc Black Kite-1 BRO-17 BRO-20 CTC-1A CTC-1B CTC-1C Flock-4h 1 Flock-4h 2 Flock-4h 3 Flock-4h 4 Flock-4h 5 Flock-4h 6 Flock-4h 7 Flock-4h 8 Flock-4h 9 Flock-4h 10 Flock-4h 11 Flock-4h 12 Flock-4h 13 Flock-4h 14 Flock-4h 15 Flock-4h 16 Flock-4h 17 Flock-4h 18 Flock-4h 19 Flock-4h 20 Flock-4h 21 Flock-4h 22 Flock-4h 23 Flock-4h 24 Flock-4h 25 Flock-4h 26 Flock-4h 27 Flock-4h 28 Flock-4h 29 Flock-4h 30 Flock-4h 31 Flock-4h 32 Flock-4h 33 Flock-4h 34 Flock-4h 35 Flock-4h 36 FRG-10D1 GENA-OT HCT-SAT 2 IHI-Sat 2 Lemur-2 Lemur-2 Lemur-2 GHGSat D Lemur-2 GHGSat E Lilium-2 Lilium-3 LUNA 1 MAUVE MICE-1 Observer-1 B OTTER (MSAE-OTTERS) Phasma A Phasma B PHI-1 PW6U R5-S7 SPEQTRE SPiN-2 T.MicroSat-1 TORO 2 TRYAD 1 TRYAD 2 VEERY-0G WISDOM-A WISDOM-B ANISCSAT NMHH-1 SARI-1 SARI-2 Foresail-1p Lemur-2 Lemur-2 Lemur-2 Lemur-2 LacunaSat 4C Lemur-2 LacunaSat 4D Lemur-2 LacunaSat 4E Lemur-2 LacunaSat 4F FOSSASat (WISeSAT-5) FOSSASat (WISeSAT-6) FOSSASat (WISeSAT-7)

Last modified: 2026-01-04