Impulse Space's Twin Mira Vehicles Close to 650 Feet in Orbital Rendezvous

Two Mira orbital transfer vehicles operated by California startup Impulse Space maneuvered within 650 feet (200 meters) of each other in low Earth orbit, a demonstration the company says proves the agility and propulsion needed for a new class of on-orbit operations. Both spacecraft photographed the encounter, capturing images of each other during the approach.

Impulse describes the operation as a showcase of capabilities that could serve customers across multiple sectors. Tom Mueller, CEO and founder of Impulse Space and previously the first employee hired at SpaceX, said the maneuvers are how the company unlocks full access to space after launch and creates new mission possibilities.

The rendezvous involved two Mira satellites. LEO-2 launched in January 2025 on the mission Impulse calls LEO Express 2, and LEO-3 launched in November 2025 on LEO Express 3. Mira is a dishwasher-sized orbital transfer vehicle designed to deliver customer payloads to precise locations in Earth orbit or beyond, capable of carrying up to 660 pounds (300 kilograms).

The sequence began in February, when the LEO-2 Mira conducted a lengthy engine burn to close in on its counterpart. Additional smaller burns throughout the spring and summer brought the two vehicles into orbital alignment. In July, LEO-2 executed a series of close approaches to LEO-3, starting at about 820 meters (2,690 feet) apart and moving progressively closer, ultimately maneuvering to within about 200 meters for the closest approach.

Both Miras documented the rendezvous with onboard camera gear. Starfish Space and HEO worked with Impulse Space on the operation. Impulse has collaborated with Starfish before, on a rendezvous late last year between LEO-2 and the first space-flown Mira, launched on LEO Express 1 in November 2023. On that operation, called Remora, LEO-2 used Starfish Space navigation software to get within 4,100 feet (1,250 meters) of LEO-1.

Drew Damon, vice president of spacecraft programs at Impulse, said the demonstration highlights capabilities that set Mira apart from other vehicles. He said the company has now twice shown that Mira has the agility and propulsion to support dynamic operations on orbit, and that the team intends to continue tackling mission sets the vehicle is uniquely qualified to handle. Mueller said the teams that design, build and operate Mira are leading the way toward a true space age, and that customers across all sectors will be the beneficiaries.

The company frames the maneuver as evidence that Mira can support dynamic, agile operations in orbit. Impulse is not alone in developing and demonstrating orbital maneuverability, which is a priority for national governments seeking to service and upgrade their own satellites and to monitor adversary craft. Earlier this year, two Russian spacecraft came within about 10 feet (3 meters) of each other in orbit.

Impulse says its team plans to continue pursuing the mission sets it believes Mira is uniquely qualified to handle, building on the two close-approach demonstrations completed so far.