Record Text: The lowest altitude by an Earth observation satellite in orbit is 167.4 km (104 mi) and was achieved by JAXA's TSUBAME (JAPAN) during its mission from 23 December 2017 to 1 October 2019. Further info: TSUBAME was a Super Low Altitude Test Satellite operated by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA. With its ion engine, TSUBAME was able to capture high-resolution satellite images