EASA: Flying Multiple Satellites Together In Formation Is the Future

http://www.aero-news.net/news/aerospace.cfm?ContentBlockID=9423b825-4de3-4601-84fd-0c91d461dbfc&Dynamic=1

All space missions are difficult. Docking a pair of spacecraft is tough but flying multiple satellites together in formation is considered the real cutting edge. A new simulator is now allowing mission planners to get to grips with multi-satellite missions to come, starting with ESA's Proba-3. Several space agencies are preparing formation-flying missions, but it is hard to overstate the difficulty they face: separate expensive pieces of hardware, each one zipping through space at several kilometres per second, may have to manoeuvre to within metres of each other to achieve their goals.