Basically, HEO’s software platform – HEO Inspect – will autonomously identify imaging opportunities. And then task BlackSky’s high-resolution Gen-2 satellites to detect, track, characterize, and classify the objects in orbit. It will also assess potential threats and predict their effects.
HEO is aiming for defense, intelligence and commercial markets.
Actionable
“BlackSky’s high-resolution Gen-2 high-cadence monitoring constellation continues to contribute valuable insight for space domain awareness,” said Brian O’Toole, BlackSky CEO.
“As on-orbit activities continue to increase, global monitoring efforts are expanding beyond terrestrial intelligence to include space intelligence. Automatically tasking and receiving NEI (non-Earth imagery) products reflects yet another pioneering innovation that gives customers reliable and actionable insight about spacecraft or on-orbit objects of interest at mission speed.”
The exact value of the contract is not revealed but BlackSky describes it as a seven-figure deal.
The imagery data services deal is actually moving into its fourth phase, says BlackSky. This is after completing the automation of the entire tasking-to-delivery process.
BlackSky Technology’s headquarters are in Herndon, Virginia. According to the company, its high-cadence imaging satellites fly in mid-inclination orbit. The aim is to increase the feasibility of capturing NEI data over the middle latitudes of Earth, at certain times and places.
“BlackSky has the ability to leverage remaining capacity typically associated with satellites passing over the ocean or satellites in eclipse, traveling across the dark side of Earth,” explains O’Toole. “Customers can now use that excess capacity, with a high-quality user experience, to monitor objects in space with no humans in the loop.”
HEO Space
HEO Space’s business is non-Earth imagery, giving insights on space objects. For example, imagery of China’s Tiangong space station, pictured above. This was captured by a BlackSky Gen-2 satellite from a distance of 83 kilometers. It was as the station was orbiteing above Bulgaria on 13 March 2025.
“Achieving true space awareness is going to require levels of inspection platforms across orbits, ready to capture imagery at a moment’s notice and HEO is building exactly that,” said Dr. Will Crowe, Co-Founder and CEO of HEO.
“BlackSky’s high-resolution satellites and automated capacity give us eyes in mid-inclination orbit, turning downtime into an intelligence goldmine for operators who need to know what’s happening around their assets, when it happens.”
HEO Inspect
HEO added BlackSky’s constellation into its current NEI sensor network in 2024.
Customers can request NEI products through HEO’s automated platform, HEO Inspect.
Once collected, BlackSky Gen-2 NEI and metadata are transferred into HEO Inspect. Here, object detection and identification algorithms generate advanced analytics reports. These include information such as a satellite’s attitude and location, subsystems identification and pattern-of-life analyses.
Image: BlackSky
See also: NASA examines onboard AI test for autonomous Dynamic Targeting EO
