![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Range_finding_from_shuttle_to_ISS.jpg/640px-Range_finding_from_shuttle_to_ISS.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Space rendezvous
Series of orbital maneuvers to bring two spacecraft into the vicinity of each other / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A space rendezvous (/ˈrɒndeɪvuː/) is a set of orbital maneuvers during which two spacecraft, one of which is often a space station, arrive at the same orbit and approach to a very close distance (e.g. within visual contact). Rendezvous requires a precise match of the orbital velocities and position vectors of the two spacecraft, allowing them to remain at a constant distance through orbital station-keeping. Rendezvous may or may not be followed by docking or berthing, procedures which bring the spacecraft into physical contact and create a link between them.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Range_finding_from_shuttle_to_ISS.jpg/640px-Range_finding_from_shuttle_to_ISS.jpg)
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Apollo_11_lunar_module.jpg/640px-Apollo_11_lunar_module.jpg)
The same rendezvous technique can be used for spacecraft "landing" on natural objects with a weak gravitational field, e.g. landing on one of the Martian moons would require the same matching of orbital velocities, followed by a "descent" that shares some similarities with docking.