Satellite, learn about the space station.
HEO Robotics, which monitors the area around Earth and monitors orbiting objects using space-based sensors, captured a stunning image of the International Space Station (ISS) using one of its satellites.
The two objects were moving at 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) per second relative to each other, making the orbital picture sharper.
“Non-terrestrial imaging provides the best view of satellites in space,” HEO Robotics wrote on Tuesday (May 13). On X, formerly Twitter. “We took this photo of the International Space Station as it passed over the Indian Ocean from a satellite 69.06 km away [43 miles] far.”
Related: Tracking the International Space Station: How and where to see it
The Australian commercial imaging company has already captured some rare looks at satellites orbiting its own fleet, in a showcase of high-resolution images used to keep customers informed of space activity.
For example, HEO Robotics obtained images of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Earth observation satellite ERS-2 on February 14, 2024. ERS-2 was on its way back into Earth’s atmosphere after 16 years of scientific observations.
The European Space Agency was so certain that ERS-2 would land in a safe landing zone, performing dozens of deorbit maneuvers after the mission ended in 2011 to steer it toward a responsible demise.
In 2023, HEO Robotics released a series showing how China assembled the three-module Tiangong Space Station.
The video showed the Tianhe core module operating on its own and receiving Tianzhou cargo ships and the manned Shenzhou spacecraft. Later, two trial units, Wentian and Mengtian, were added, giving Tiangong a “T-shape”.
“Using our non-terrestrial imaging capability, we witnessed a story unfold over an 18-month time frame. Every stage you see was verified by an image taken from another satellite in space,” the company said. It was then published on X.
