Two Spacecraft Closed to Within 200 Meters and Photographed Each Other
Two spacecraft built by Impulse Space closed to less than 200 meters of each other in low Earth orbit in July and photographed one another as they passed, the California company said in an account published Sept. 8.
The company says the point of the exercise is mobility, meaning satellites that can change orbit during their working life instead of holding a fixed path. It points to moving a satellite to cover a different part of the Earth, sending one to inspect another object in orbit, and improving the communications link between satellites.
The two vehicles are Mira spacecraft left in orbit by separate Impulse missions, LEO Express 2 and LEO Express 3. By the company's account, the LEO-2 vehicle made the largest engine burn of the operation in February 2026, shifting its orbital plane toward that of LEO-3, then fired smaller burns through the spring to bring the two orbits into alignment. The close passes began at about 820 meters and tightened from there.
A camera supplied by Starfish Space on one vehicle returned one image, and a telescope from the imaging firm HEO on the other returned the second.
"We're showcasing some of the advanced capabilities that set Mira apart from other vehicles," said Drew Damon, vice president of spacecraft programs at Impulse.
It was the second time a Mira has flown a series of close approaches, the company said, after the Remora mission it flew with Starfish Space a year earlier.
