HEO and Planet Partner for Advanced Space Situational Awareness Imaging

In a strategic move to bolster Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and national security capabilities, Australian defense and space intelligence company HEO has entered into a landmark agreement with Earth observation giant Planet. Announced on August 17, the partnership enables HEO to leverage Planet’s constellation of high-resolution SkySat satellites for non-Earth imaging (NEI), a specialized capability focused on photographing and characterizing other spacecraft and space debris rather than the Earth's surface. While financial terms of the agreement remain undisclosed, the tactical implications for military and intelligence operations are profound, offering enhanced monitoring of orbital assets.

Expanding Non-Earth Imaging Capabilities with SkySat

Under the terms of the agreement, HEO gains the tactical ability to task Planet’s SkySat satellites during periods when they are not actively engaged in Earth observation missions. These agile sensors will be directed toward other objects of interest in orbit. Initially, the resulting NEI imagery will be restricted exclusively to U.S. government customers due to existing regulatory and licensing frameworks. However, company leadership anticipates expanding these offerings to commercial satellite operators in the future, and potentially integrating Planet’s newer Pelican and Dove satellite constellations into the HEO tasking network.

The Strategic Necessity of a Diverse Sensor Architecture

According to HEO Chief Executive Will Crowe, the future of space intelligence relies heavily on agility and sensor diversity rather than massive, costly dedicated military satellites. By integrating Planet’s assets, HEO’s orbital surveillance network now boasts access to more than 50 sensors in space. This decentralized approach maximizes the probability of having a camera in the optimal position and orbit to capture critical diagnostic imagery of foreign spacecraft, potential threats, or anomalous orbital maneuvers.

• Access to over 50 disparate orbital sensors for comprehensive space tracking.
• Enhanced ability to detect potentially nefarious or hostile activities in orbit.
• Rapid tasking flexibility to capture high-resolution imagery during critical events.

Addressing Government and Commercial Defense Demands

While commercial interest in non-Earth imaging is steadily growing—such as identifying cluster-deployed satellites from rideshare missions or diagnosing tumbling spacecraft like malfunctioning SpaceX Starlink units—government defense clients continue to drive the market. Crowe notes that approximately 90% of HEO’s business originates from government defense and intelligence sectors that deeply understand the strategic imperative of space situational awareness. To complement its third-party tasking model, HEO also recently acquired its own imaging spacecraft, Continuum-1, which enables continuous diagnostic monitoring and upcoming rendezvous and proximity operations demonstrations in low Earth orbit.

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