WASHINGTON — Defense technology company Anduril and space transportation startup Impulse Space are preparing to demonstrate one of the most complex operations in space: autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations in geosynchronous Earth orbit.
The mission, announced Sept. 16, is the next step in the companies’ strategic partnership unveiled last year to develop maneuverable spacecraft designed for national security. The two companies say this will be an internally funded demonstration, but the technologies are aimed squarely at U.S. Space Force priorities.
The demonstration, targeted for 2026, will attempt to showcase a spacecraft’s ability to approach, image and maneuver around other objects in orbit without direct human control. Rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) in the geostationary belt 36,000 kilometers above Earth — where the most valuable military and commercial satellites operate — is viewed as a capability of strategic importance.
What the mission involves
Impulse’s Mira spacecraft, a 300-kilogram vehicle designed to move satellites from LEO to higher orbits, will be the test platform. Mira will be outfitted with Anduril’s software-defined payloads, including a mission data processor, a long-wave infrared (LWIR) imager and third-party sensors to enable high-precision navigation. Anduril also will use its AI-powered software for autonomous vehicle operations.
To reach GEO, Mira will ride aboard Helios, Impulse’s new “space tug” that provides the energy needed to transport payloads from LEO to higher orbits. Helios is under development with support from the U.S. Space Force through a STRATFI contract — a co-funding program where government and private investors share the costs of maturing commercial technologies that have military utility.
Once in GEO, Mira will detach from Helios and begin its RPO demonstrations: capturing images of designated objects, analyzing them onboard and autonomously executing maneuvers to observe the targets from different angles.
Being able to maneuver in GEO is an emerging priority for the U.S. Space Force. Spacecraft that can quickly reposition to inspect or monitor satellites give military commanders a way to gain “eyes on” suspicious activity, such as an adversary satellite approaching an American system.
Tactical responsiveness
Impulse Space is promoting Helios as a transportation option to deliver payloads to GEO faster and at lower cost than traditional approaches, which either rely on direct-to-GEO rocket launches or months-long orbital climbs using electric propulsion. That speed, combined with Mira’s maneuverability, is meant to provide what defense leaders call tactically responsive space — the ability to react quickly to new threats or intelligence requirements.
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