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Both will be in Jupiter orbit at the same time in the early 2030s, and both have sizable solar arrays and high resolution cameras- will either of them ever be close enough to spot each other? Mars Odyssey has taken photos of Mars Global Surveyor, but the distances in orbit around Jupiter will be much greater on average.

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  • $\begingroup$ Interesting question. I imagine the answer centers around the intensity and alignment of specular reflections from the solar panels. Panels are nominally aligned perpendicular to the solar direction, so the "viewer" would need to be on this radial as well. $\endgroup$
    – Woody
    Commented Sep 4 at 1:03
  • $\begingroup$ Its much more likely that one will be able to see the other than they will both be able to "see each other" at the same time, due to the geometry of specular reflections. You might want to clarify which version the question is referring to. $\endgroup$
    – Woody
    Commented Sep 4 at 2:00
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    $\begingroup$ Non-flare event detection is certainly also possible if they spend some time to try. Longer exposure, especially with calculated tracking would make even a faint reflection visible as a "warm pixel" or two, even at tens of thousands of kilometers. It would be a stunt, but it could be cloaked in a wrapper of a "technology demonstration" ;-) $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Sep 4 at 2:35
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    $\begingroup$ Horizons has trajectories for them ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/api/… and ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/api/… But the Juice one currently only covers up to its arrival at Jupiter. And of course both files are only tentative. $\endgroup$
    – PM 2Ring
    Commented Sep 4 at 2:53

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