HEO acquires Satellogic’s NewSat-34 satellite

Sydney based HEO has announced the purchase of the in-orbit Satellogic Inc. NewSat-34™ satellite, establishing a significant new pillar of Australian sovereign space capability. Through the full title acquisition of the satellite, HEO becomes the first Australian entity to own and operate a sub-metre resolution satellite.

This enables HEO to expand its specialised Non-Earth Imaging (NEI) services while providing a dedicated on-orbit testbed that grants Australian interests priority access for remote sensing development, the company says.

“The acquisition of NewSat-34™ represents a historic shift in our nation’s space maturity,” said Dr. Will Crowe, CEO and Co-Founder of HEO. “For the first time, Australia moves from being wholly dependent on foreign governments and commercial queues to having direct ownership of a sub-meter resolution satellite.

“By working with Satellogic to bring this proven satellite under Australian title, we are establishing a sovereign testbed that accelerates our core Non-Earth Imaging product. This provides a platform for domestic innovation and ensures that Australian interests finally have priority access to high-resolution data from a satellite we control.”

Renamed Continuum-1, ‍the satellite is already actively collecting data, providing HEO with immediate operational capacity. This acquisition marks the first time Satellogic has sold a legacy, in-orbit satellite through its Sovereignty Government Program.

The acquisition provides HEO with full operational control over its first owned satellite. Continuum-1 will serve as HEO’s dedicated in-orbit R&D test bed for non-Earth imaging, enabling the company to test novel image acquisition modes, expand its deep catalogue of satellite imagery, and generate comprehensive AI-ready datasets critical to accelerating autonomous non-Earth imaging systems, the company said in a media release.

Simultaneously, the acquisition establishes sovereign space capability for Australia without the extended timelines and costs associated with building and launching a new satellite. Beyond its primary NEI mission, Continuum-1 delivers tangible national benefits as Australiaʼs first sub-metre resolution remote sensing satellite under sovereign control. Originally designed by Satellogic for high-resolution Earth observation, the satelliteʼs remaining operational capabilities provide additional imaging capacity to support Australiaʼs national interests.

By ensuring priority access to imaging capacity, Continuum-1 extends the operational life of a legacy satellite while delivering continued value. This dual-purpose approach makes the platform a positive for Australian research and innovation, says HEO.

Satellogic will continue providing operational support for Continuum-1, leveraging their expertise in satellite operations while HEO maintains ownership and control of the satellite. The Continuum-1 satellite will continue operations from its current orbit as HEO transitions control and begins its new mission supporting Australia’s growing space sector.

‍Meanwhile HEO and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra Space Researchers plan to perform Australia’s first Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) mission using the Continuum-1 satellite with an active propulsion system, supported by funding from Defence Trailblazer’s Advanced Innovation Fund. The RPO Mission should take place in the second half of this calendar year, according to HEO.

The collaborative project will develop, test, and validate proximity operations and establish three critical capabilities for Australian space sovereignty: RPO, satellite monitoring, and real-world data for sensor networks – building advanced space capabilities on home soil.

The first Australian mission of its kind, it will develop domestic expertise in fuel-efficient, tactically relevant RPO manoeuvres under realistic propulsion scenarios, the company says. This work builds on the significant space flight heritage of UNSW Canberra Space, including its world-first demonstration of RPO formation flying without active propulsion, carried out in 2021-2023.

The mission will answer key questions about how to perform complex manoeuvres with minimal fuel, as well as optimising lighting conditions and imaging geometry for detailed, close-range satellite inspection. It will provide high-fidelity, real-world data to calibrate Australia’s ground-based sensor networks, enabling analysts to accurately infer spacecraft intent, trajectory, and characteristics from observable signatures.

“When we acquired Continuum-1 several weeks ago, we committed to establishing a sovereign testbed that would accelerate R&D and serve Australia’s national interests,” said Dr Will Crowe of HEO, which originated as a spin-out through the UNSW Founders flagship accelerator Founders 10x.

“This partnership with UNSW Canberra Space delivers on that promise. On the R&D side, it gives us a new RPO capability while providing a dedicated testbed to improve the nation’s space security posture. We’re committed to building foundational skills Australia has never had before and we’re doing it now.”