The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has helped to establish that femtosecond comb lasers can provide accurate measurement of absolute distance in formation flying space missions. NPL, along with ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...