15 Dec 2025

Starfish Space software brings an Impulse Mira to about 1.25 km of a second Mira in orbit

Space and aerospace
AI illustration · Illustrative scene, not a photograph of the specific device or experiment.

What was demonstrated

In a demonstration called Remora, Starfish Space's autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations software controlled an Impulse Space Mira spacecraft in low Earth orbit. Starfish and Impulse announced the demonstration on 15 December 2025, and the release says the operations were not announced before they took place. The Mira came within about 1,250 metres of a second Mira, the LEO Express 1 spacecraft. The release says a single visual-range camera was the only sensor, and that the guidance, navigation and control software ran on a peripheral flight computer.

Why it matters

A servicing vehicle must first approach a client spacecraft and hold a safe distance from it. This result covers that early step rather than a physical servicing task. If the single-camera approach holds up in later tests, it may reduce the sensing and computing hardware needed for future servicing vehicles.

Caveats

  • The demonstration covered rendezvous and proximity operations only. The release does not report docking, capture or any approach closer than about 1,250 metres.
  • The release says the software suite is meant to enable fully autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations and docking. The reported outcome is the approach to about 1,250 metres, so the docking capability is not shown by this result.
  • The release does not give fuel use, operating duration or detailed performance data.
  • The only source is a joint press release from the two companies. No independent data, imagery or review was checked.
  • Starfish plans its first full Otter missions for SES, NASA and the US Space Force starting in 2026. This result does not show those missions.

Technology profiles

Sources

  1. company announcement
    Starfish Space Completes Autonomous Rendezvous and Proximity Mission in LEO with Impulse Space
    Starfish Space and Impulse Space, 15 Dec 2025.

Last reviewed 21 Oct 2026.