For the first time, two spacecraft in orbit were aligned in formation with millimeter precision and maintained their relative position for several hours without any control from the ground. The ...

Formation flying looks smooth and effortless from the outside. Inside the cockpit, it’s constant concentration, tiny ...

A pair of spacecraft have demonstrated ultra-precise formation flying in orbit for the first time, marking a milestone with major implications for both science and future space missions. The pair ...

Generally speaking, space missions are being performed with lone spacecraft heading out into the void to achieve the desired goal of their makers. Sure, these machines might release other, smaller ...

A pair of spacecraft just launched to create hundreds of artificial solar eclipses in orbit. The European Space Agency mission, called Proba-3, will allow scientists “to see an eclipse on demand,” as ...

A pair of European satellites have created the first artificial solar eclipses by flying in precise and fancy formation, providing hours of on-demand totality for scientists. The European Space Agency ...

MILAN—The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to launch a pair of satellites to demonstrate precision formation-flying in orbit. Liftoff of the Proba-3 mission is slated for Nov. 29 aboard an ...

The Sun’s inner corona appears greenish in this image taken on 23 May 2025 by the ASPIICS coronagraph aboard Proba-3, ESA’s formation-flying mission capable of creating artificial total solar eclipses ...