HEO to Use Planet Satellites for Non-Earth Imaging
The Australian firm HEO has reached an agreement with US-based Planet to gain access to the latter’s Earth‑observation satellites for the purpose of capturing images of objects that are not on Earth.
HEO already employs commercial Earth‑observation satellites to photograph other spacecraft, launch vehicles and orbital debris, using the resulting pictures to monitor space traffic and support safety operations.
By tapping into Planet’s satellite constellation, HEO intends to increase its revisit frequency over targets in orbit and improve the timeliness and resolution of the imagery it can deliver.
The primary application of these non‑Earth images is space situational awareness – detecting and tracking objects in Earth orbit so that operators can anticipate close approaches and take mitigating action.
Both parties stress that the partnership creates technological synergies and bolsters the commercial space‑data capabilities of each company. Specifics regarding the volume of data to be supplied or the contract duration have not been disclosed publicly.
The deal highlights a growing trend of repurposing commercial Earth‑observation infrastructure for missions that look outward from our planet rather than downward.