19 - 08 - 2026

HEO and Planet Expand Space-Based Imaging Network for Consistent Imaging

Space-domain awareness company HEO is expanding its in-orbit imaging capabilities through a new partnership with Planet, integrating Planet’s SkySat constellation into HEO’s Non-Earth Imaging (NEI) sensor network.

Under the partnership, selected Planet SkySat satellites will contribute their imaging capabilities to HEO’s NEI network, allowing HEO to broaden the number of orbital sensors available to customers seeking greater visibility into objects and activity in space.

HEO said the integration will take its sensor network to more than 50 in-orbit sensors, strengthening revisit rates and enabling more consistent imaging for space-domain awareness missions.

For Planet, the partnership also creates an opportunity to generate additional revenue from previously unused satellite capacity across its SkySat constellation. The arrangement allows Planet to extend the utility of its existing orbital infrastructure beyond its traditional Earth-observation applications.

“We’re helping to expand HEO’s on-orbit imaging capabilities,” Planet said, describing the partnership as a way to integrate its SkySat constellation into HEO’s NEI sensor network for select customers.

HEO’s Non-Earth Imaging technology is focused on using satellites to observe objects in orbit rather than on Earth’s surface. Such capabilities can provide valuable imagery for understanding spacecraft behaviour and supporting space-domain awareness as the number of satellites and other objects in orbit continues to increase.

The integration of SkySat into the network is expected to increase the frequency with which HEO can collect imagery of relevant orbital objects. A larger distributed sensor network can also provide greater geographic and temporal coverage than relying on a smaller number of dedicated spacecraft.

For HEO, the partnership represents an expansion of its sensor architecture without requiring every additional imaging capability to come from a newly launched dedicated spacecraft. For Planet, meanwhile, it demonstrates a new commercial application for its existing satellite fleet.

The development comes as governments and commercial space companies increasingly seek improved space-domain awareness, driven by the rapid growth of satellite constellations and the strategic importance of orbital infrastructure.

With Planet’s SkySat constellation now being incorporated into the network, HEO says its NEI architecture has crossed the 50-sensor threshold, marking a significant expansion of its ability to provide persistent orbital imagery.

The partnership ultimately illustrates a broader shift in the space industry: existing satellite capacity is increasingly being repurposed and interconnected to create new capabilities in orbit, allowing companies to extract additional value from spacecraft already operating in space while building more resilient space-monitoring networks.

By Subramanya Joshi