News

BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) has signed a seven-figure, Gen-2, space domain awareness (SDA) expansion contract with HEO to provide fully-automated low-latency non-Earth imaging (NEI) services for defense, intelligence and commercial use—the imagery data services deal is now moving into its fourth phase after completing the automation of the entire tasking-to-delivery process.

As part of the contract, HEO’s software platform will autonomously identify imaging opportunities and task BlackSky’s high-resolution Gen-2 satellites to detect, track, characterize, and classify objects in orbit, as well as assess potential threats and predict their effects.

BlackSky’s high-cadence imaging satellites fly in mid-inclination orbit and are expected to increase the feasibility of capturing NEI data over the middle latitudes of Earth, at certain times and places. The rapid tasking and delivery of NEI are expected to support critical space domain awareness applications, including constellation monitoring and anomaly detection.

HEO added BlackSky’s constellation into its current NEI sensor network in 2024. Customers can now request NEI products through HEO’s automated tasking and delivery platform, HEO Inspect. Once collected, BlackSky Gen-2 NEI and metadata are transferred into HEO Inspect where object detection and identification algorithms generate advanced analytics reports that include information such as a satellite’s attitude and location, subsystems identification and pattern-of-life analyses.

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 mognitoring efforts are expanding beyond terrestrial intelligence to include space intelligence. Automatically tasking and receiving NEI products reflects yet another pioneering innovation that gives customers reliable and actionable insight about spacecraft or on-orbit objects of interest at mission speed.

“With satellites passing over the ocean or satellites in eclipse, traveling across the dark side of Earth. Customers can now use that excess capacity, with a high-quality user experience, to monitor objects in space with no humans in the loop,” said O’Toole.

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.”

Exolaunch is set to deploy satellites for its customers Capella Space, Pixxel and an undisclosed U.S. commercial customer on the upcoming NAOS mission with SpaceX, which is scheduled for launch no earlier than August 2025 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

This mission builds on the longstanding collaborations of Exolaunch with multiple leading Earth Observation (EO) companies:

Capella Space – This is Exolaunch’s second launch for Capella, following the successful deployment of its Acadia-5 satellite aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-11 mission in mid-2024.

Pixxel – Exolaunch will deploy three new Firefly satellites for Pixxel. Exolaunch has already deployed four Pixxel satellites on previous Transporter missions, supporting the rapid growth of Pixxel’s hyperspectral imaging constellation.

Undisclosed – On this mission, Exolaunch will deploy two satellites for an undisclosed U.S. commercial customer via its CarboNIX separation systems under a dedicated hardware and integration services contract in continuation of the companies’ long-term collaboration.

In May of 2025, Exolaunch announced new multi-year contracts to continue leveraging SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare missions through 2028. These agreements cover all Transporter missions to date, positioning Exolaunch as the only integrator to manifest satellites on every Transporter mission so far. Exolaunch kicked off the year with delivery of 34 satellites on Transporter‑12, followed by Transporter-13 with 27 deployed satellites and a record-breaking 45 satellite deployment on Transporter‑14 in Jun —its largest flight ever.

The company is gearing up for new record-breaking rideshare missions later this year, reinforcing its reputation as a trusted launch integrator globally.

With this new mission, we’re not only contributing to the growth of the world’s most advanced satellite constellations for our customers, but thanks to SpaceX we’re also expanding valuable new launch capacity beyond traditional Transporter missions,” said Jeanne Allarie, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of Exolaunch. “We’re proud to continue enabling fast, reliable access to space for industry leaders like Capella Space, Pixxel and more — and we are grateful to SpaceX for making additional missions available to our long-standing customers.”

EUMETSAT’s Mission Control Centre has officially taken the reins of the Metop Second Generation A1 (Metop-SGA1) satellite, following the successful completion of the spacecraft’s launch and early operations phase (LEOP).

Over three intense days, experts worked together to perform a series of complex steps and manoeuvres to guide the satellite into LEO—just over 800 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, an endeavor made possible through the dedicated collaboration of EUMETSAT, the European Space Agency (ESA), Telespazio Italy, Airbus Defence and Space, and other partners.

The successful completion of Metop-SGA1’s LEOP marks a major milestone in the deployment of the EUMETSAT Polar System – Second Generation (EPS-SG), Europe’s next-generation polar-orbiting weather satellite program. EPS-SG will provide critical data for improving life-saving weather forecasts and a wide range of other critical services that benefit lives and livelihoods across EUMETSAT member states and beyond. It is expected to deliver a return on investment of at least 20:1 to the EU-27 economy.

Metop-SGA1 lifted off at 02:37 CEST on August 13, 202,5 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on board an Ariane-62 rocket. It is the first satellite in the EPS-SG program to be launched and carries a suite of cutting-edge instruments, including the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission.

The LEOP began when Metop-SGA1 separated from its launch vehicle, initiating a carefully planned and executed sequence of activities, including solar panel deployment, propulsion system activation, attitude stabilization, and a series of orbital maneuvers. The satellite is now drifting in tandem with its predecessor, Metop-C—a strategy designed to improve the accuracy, stability and continuity of Earth observation data provided by Metop series satellites.

While the LEOP lasted just three intense days, successfully positioning Metop-SGA1 in orbit in the correct configuration on board is an achievement that reflects years of outstanding teamwork and dedication from engineers and managers at EUMETSAT, ESA, Airbus, and Telespazio,” said Valeria Bozzi, Metop LEOP Service Manager at EUMETSAT. “Now that EUMETSAT has taken control of Metop-SGA1, we move into the satellite’s commissioning phase – preparing it for full operations, where it will become one of the most important sources of data for numerical weather prediction. This will help improve life-saving forecasts and strengthen climate monitoring in Europe and around the world.”

Impulse Space earlier this month upgraded Mira—the company’s high-thrust, highly maneuverable spacecraft for payload hosting and deployment that already has two successful missions.

Mira has showcased responsive, record-setting maneuverability in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The upgraded design delivers higher performance for even more challenging orbital regimes, including Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), cislunar space and beyond.

In addition to being optimized for higher energy orbits, the next-generation Mira vehicle provides increased delta-v, greater power for payloads, more payload capacity, and expanded autonomy to support diverse mission profiles. Its first flight, LEO Express 3, is fully manifested and scheduled to launch later this year.

Key Technical Enhancements

• Ready for GEO Missions—Mira now has enhanced radiation-tolerant avionics, upgraded radios and antennas, and onboard reaction wheels. These upgrades will support Mira’s operations in higher orbits, like MEO or GEO.
• More Power for Payloads—Instead of fixed solar arrays, the upgraded Mira now features deployable arrays that can also be articulated, to better track the sun. Payload hosting is a key use case for Mira, and with these changes, Mira offers customers more than double the power for their missions.
• More Delta-V—The Saiph thrusters that powered Mira’s record-setting burns in LEO have been upgraded from 5 lbf to 6 lbf. With eight thrusters per vehicle, that’s 20% more thrust. Additionally, the upgraded Mira can now carry more propellant; altogether, this amounts to a 25% increase in delta-v, with Mira capable of achieving 900 m/s of delta-v for a 100 kg payload.
• Upgraded Software Capabilities—Building on a legacy of autonomous space operations, Mira’s upgraded software stack pushes performance even further by supporting dynamic, software-defined mission reconfigurations directly on orbit. Mira’s software is designed to further increase its “hands-off” operations, bringing even more autonomous functionality to tasks like executing payload ops, maintaining station, and downlinking data.
• Cybersecure for Sensitive Missions – The design upgrade for Mira integrates NSA Type 1 cryptographic solutions to protect mission data and command links; Mira also complies with CNSSP-12 requirements to ensure end-to-end security for classified information.
• More Flexibility for Rideshare and Payloads—Mira’s form factor has been redesigned to provide customers with maximum flexibility for their payloads and missions. The new single bay design is compatible off-the-shelf with Helios and optimized to maximize customer payload volume for rideshare missions.
• Enhanced Pointing and Control—Mira now features four reaction wheels and four star trackers, all designed and built by Impulse. These upgrades enable even lower pointing error in any attitude, supporting precise maneuverability and complex operations for missions such as SDA and Earth observation.

The upgraded Mira will debut on LEO Express 3 later this year, where it is slated to perform several significant and rapid maneuvers. Additional upcoming missions include VICTUS SURGO and VICTUS SALO, where Mira’s mobility and precision will support tactically responsive space (TacRS) capabilities for the Department of Defense.

The upgraded Mira builds on a foundation of successful flight heritage, taking proven capabilities and expanding them through innovative new designs. Impulse’s team of expert engineers builds and tests the majority of systems in-house—from avionics to GNC to batteries.

As part of the design upgrade, Impulse will also increase the production rate for Mira vehicles. This will enable support for proliferated architectures and rapid replenishment requirements, among other use cases.

This upgraded Mira extends our core capabilities into higher orbits, with the same emphasis on responsiveness, maneuverability, and precision,” said Drew Damon, Vice President of Spacecraft Programs at Impulse Space. “We’ve now assembled and tested the first full vehicle, complete with customer payloads. We’re excited to put it in orbit later this year.”

To achieve a thriving space economy and reach a true space age, we need to dramatically improve in-space mobility from where it currently stands,” said Tom Mueller, founder and CEO of Impulse Space. “With its first two missions, Mira has already proven to be a strong step in the right direction, and we’re confident that this updated design will further accelerate opportunities across the commercial, civil, and defense sectors.”

Backed by the European Innovation Council (EIC), OQ Technology‘s 5NETSAT mission will deliver secure 5G satellite messaging and emergency alerts to unmodified smartphones, advancing Europe’s digital sovereignty and space innovation  

OQ Technology has announced the official launch of the company’s flagship 5NETSAT mission, supported by a €2.5 million grant from the EIC under the EIC Accelerator program.  

The mission will demonstrate breakthrough capabilities in direct satellite-to-smartphone communication, including emergency SMS and broadcast alerts delivered to standard 5G devices using IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) spectrum. These services will function seamlessly without any hardware or software modifications, marking a significant leap forward for Europe’s secure space-based communications infrastructure.  

Complementing the grant, OQ Technology has also been selected for equity investment by the EIC Fund, further validating the EU’s confidence in the company’s trajectory to become the region’s first commercial Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) satellite operator. This dual support comes amid rising geopolitical focus on sovereign digital infrastructure and resilient communications networks.

5NETSAT will serve as Europe’s first service demonstration of a 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) in LEO. It will enable satellite-based delivery of emergency alerts and SMS messages to 5G smartphones, allow real-time public safety communications during disasters or cyberattacks, and support secure coordination for first responders and national emergency agencies. The system’s compatibility with standard 3GPP smartphones allows for rapid deployment across both civilian and governmental applications.  

Beyond technical validation, the mission is expected to deliver a wide-ranging impact. Socially, it promotes digital inclusion for underserved regions and improves public safety. Economically, it supports innovation, creates high-value jobs in the European space sector, and opens new commercial opportunities through mobile-satellite convergence. Environmentally, it reduces dependence on terrestrial infrastructure and aligns with the European Green Deal by enabling greener connectivity.  

5NETSAT also supports key EU policy initiatives, including IRIS², The Digital Decade, Horizon Europe, and the Gigabit Infrastructure Act. It directly contributes to global Sustainable Development Goals, especially in areas such as disaster resilience, climate action, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration.  

With EIC funding secured, 5NETSAT becomes the critical first step toward full-scale deployment of OQ Technology’s global D2M constellation. The company is advancing rapidly toward commercial launch, unlocking new markets and delivering secure, resilient mobile connectivity across Europe and beyond.  

This marks a significant milestone in our journey to build Europe’s first commercial Direct-to-Mobile satellite constellation,” said Omar Qaise, Founder and CEO of OQ Technology. “With 5NETSAT, we are proving that secure, space-based mobile communication is not only technically viable but scalable, sustainable, and lifesaving.”  

Hiltron Communications recently reported the purchase of a latest-generation HMAM-XY motorized antenna mount by a German research organization—the mount is equipped with a 2.4 meter antenna and will be used for various applications including the advancement of technology related to LEO/MEO/SmallSat constellations.

Suitable for receive and transmit applications, HMAM-XY provides very high pointing and tracking accuracy with low backlash, and full hemispheric coverage with no zenith keyhole. High-accuracy absolute-reference encoders are incorporated.

Operation is via Hiltron’s HACU antenna control unit which includes TLE/NORAD tracking capabilities. Steptrack is available as an option. Control and monitoring can be performed through an Ethernet link with a web interface. HACU can be mounted on the HMAM-XY support column with local control possible using a directly connected handheld unit.

HMAM-XY tracking velocity is up to 10 degrees per second with 6 degrees per second squared maximum acceleration and within 0.05% accuracy. Elevation range is +5 to +175 degrees. Lateral rotation can be performed through a continuous 360 degrees. L, S, C, X, Ku and Ka bands with circular or linear polarization are supported. Multiband support is available as an option.

HMAM-XY can operate in temperatures of -30 to +50 Celsius (-40 to +60 Celsius storage) and in wind speeds of up to 90 kilometres per hour (up to 200 km/h survival in security position, dependent on reflector type) at up to 100% relative humidity. Power requirement is 400 volts AC, three-phase.

HMAM-XY builds on over 15 years of refinement since the introduction of the original HMAM,” said Antonio Monteverde, Sales Director of Hiltron Communications. “First exhibited at the September of 2024 International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam, it is designed to perform high precision tracking of LEO and MEO satellites, SmallSat constellations and flying objects such as drones. Planar antennas or prime focus reflectors of up to 2.5 metres diameter can be attached or changed quickly via a universal adapter. Fast acceleration combined with high tracking velocity and accuracy make HMAM-XY ideal for a wide range of broadcast, security and wider telecommunications applications.”

Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) has reported that Pole Star Global has fully integrated Iridium Certus^®with their Podium platform—a unified maritime intelligence solution supporting a broad range of mission-critical capabilities.

This powerful integration streamlines support for Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT), Ship Security Alert System (SSAS), commercial vessel tracking, and data connectivity— all within a single, versatile environment. 

With Iridium Certus enabling resilient, global connectivity, Podium delivers uninterrupted situational awareness and actionable intelligence to support regulatory compliance, operational performance, risk mitigation, and emissions optimization—empowering maritime stakeholders to make smarter decisions, anywhere in the world. Using Iridium’s global satellite network, Podium5 delivers data from ships, shore, engine and environments, generating immediate, powerful and profitable outcomes for the modern fleet. 

With Iridium Certus, Pole Star’s tracking and alerting capabilities provide simple, cost-efficient, and unmatched global coverage to the maritime industry. By integrating multiple regulated services into one system, Pole Star and Iridium streamline compliance, enhance cybersecurity and physical safety, and help future-proof vessel operations. The service is especially valuable for fleets operating in high-risk, remote, or polar regions, where other satellite systems often fail to deliver dependable connectivity.

Powered primarily through the Lars Thrane LT-4200S terminal, Pole Star’s Iridium Certus integrated solution will also be available in terminals from Cobham, Intellian and Thales. 

By integrating Iridium Certus into our global tracking and compliance framework, we’re delivering unprecedented flexibility and resilience to our customers operating in every ocean,” said Ross Martin, Managing Director of Shipping & Offshore, Polestar Global. “This is especially critical for operators in high-risk zones or bandwidth-challenged environments where traditional coverage falls short.”

Embedded into the fabric of global maritime trade, Pole Star Global plays an essential role in providing vessel tracking, monitoring, and safety solutions, especially through their Podium5 solution,” said Wouter Deknopper, Vice President and General Manager of Maritime, Iridium. “By integrating Iridium Certus, they are strengthening their maritime intelligence to further protect vessels, people, and investments.” 

ICEYE recently launched their newest imaging mode, Scan Wide—this latest addition to ICEYE’s suite of SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) imaging products offers customers the largest scene size available in its portfolio to date: with Scan Wide, customers can now image an area of 60,000 km² with a single scene.

Scan Wide also supports multi-frame tasking, enabling customers to capture 120,000 km² in a single acquisition. This large scene size is particularly useful for maritime applications such as dark vessel search and oil spill monitoring.

Scan Wide extends ICEYE’s uniquely differentiated imaging capabilities, enabled by its phased array imaging technology. ICEYE is the only New Space company providing a comprehensive range of imaging modes, from 25 cm resolution Dwell and Spot modes with a 5 km x 5 km footprint to the 27 m resolution Scan Wide mode with a 200 km x 300 km footprint, with multiple resolution and scene size combinations between these extremes.

With ICEYE’s rich product capabilities, customers can use Scan Wide to conduct large-area intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). For instance, Scan Wide can help analysts identify suspicious activity like illicit ship-to-ship transshipment or vessels that have disabled their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) to mask illegal activity.

Once these threats are identified with Scan Wide, users can deploy ICEYE’s 25 cm and 50 cm modes such as Dwell Precise and Spot Fine to better characterize the activity. Beyond defense applications, the Scan Wide footprint and resolution are well-suited for applications such as oil spill detection and monitoring.

Scan Wide is supported on all satellites in the rapidly-growing ICEYE fleet. The combination of ICEYE’s proliferated constellation and diverse imaging modes is unequaled in the industry.

By adding Scan Wide to our imaging portfolio, we enable users to ‘zoom out’ to search wide areas, and then ‘zoom in’ for high-resolution collections of targets of interest, tipping and cueing all within the same, seamless user experience,” said John Cartwright, ICEYE’s SVP of Product for Data. “ICEYE is unique among operators of its class in this extraordinary flexibility. We will continue to take advantage of our satellite technology to innovate new products that help our customers answer questions faster and more reliably, providing a powerful information advantage.”

ICEYE owns and operates the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation, delivering unlimited global access and the highest frequency revisits on the market. ICEYE SAR satellites provide 25 cm ground resolution, enabling accurate object detection and situational awareness in all weather and light conditions. To date, ICEYE has launched 54 SAR satellites into orbit for ICEYE’s and its customers’ use. The release of the Scan Wide product demonstrates ICEYE’s ongoing leadership in expanding the frontier of imaging capabilities for NewSpace missions.

KP Labs and Simera Sense have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the 39th Annual Small Satellite Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. The agreement formalizes a growing collaboration between the two companies, whose complementary technologies — optical payloads and onboard data processing — can support upcoming Earth observation and planetary exploration missions.

The MoU aims to establish a foundation for closer collaboration between Simera Sense and KP Labs, based on shared goals and complementary capabilities. This alignment opens the door to joint deployments where mission-ready components from both partners can be combined into compact, intelligent payloads with minimal integration overhead. By bringing together advanced optical sensing and in-orbit AI processing, both companies aim to accelerate the delivery of smarter small satellite missions.

The growing demand for real-time insights from space puts increasing pressure on downlink capacity and mission latency. By processing data directly in orbit, satellite operators can make faster decisions, reduce costs, and send back only the most valuable information. This combined solution is particularly relevant for applications such as environmental monitoring, agriculture, urban analytics, and planetary science — domains where both autonomy and data quality are essential.

A concrete example of this collaboration is the upcoming OPS-SAT VOLT mission led by Craft Prospect in partnership with ESA. For the first time, KP Labs and Simera Sense will fly together as an integrated payload.

Simera Sense will deliver the HyperScape100, a high-performance multispectral camera.

KP Labs will provide the Leopard Data Processing Unit (DPU) running AI-based algorithms directly onboard.

Craft Prospect are the pioneers behind the satellite mission, which will serve as a demonstrator for reconfigurable optical and processing systems on a CubeSat platform.

With the mission due for launch in mid 2026, OPS-SAT VOLT represents the first formal instance of the partnership in action, highlighting how both technologies can operate jointly to capture and process data autonomously in orbit. This collaboration also underscores a broader shift in how small satellite missions are being built, favoring modular, interoperable components that can be integrated efficiently without bespoke engineering.

KP Labs and Simera Sense are already working together on future mission concepts and are in discussions with partners looking to deploy intelligent optical payloads across various orbital platforms.

The integrated payload will be demonstrated at selected events in late 2025, highlighting how mission-ready sensors and onboard computing units can deliver meaningful results without ground intervention. This partnership is expected to serve as a foundation for future collaborations across both institutional and commercial missions.

This agreement marks a natural step in the evolution of our collaboration with Simera Sense,” said Michał Zachara, COO at KP Labs. “By combining proven, flight-ready technologies, we’re offering a shortcut to mission teams who want to deploy optical-AI solutions without building everything from scratch.”

Dr. Hina Khan, Head of Commercial at Craft Prospect, said, “Craft Prospect is pleased to see the development of the relationship between KP Labs and Simera Sense through the initial discussions on the OPS-SAT VOLT mission, which will demonstrate both partners capabilities for on board processing and optical observations on a small satellite platform. The mission launch, planned for mid-2026, will provide valuable flight heritage on the integrated payload and help develop further mission opportunities. We look forward to working with KP Labs and Simera Sense in the future.”

Simera Sense sees this collaboration with KP Labs as an essential step in enabling responsive EO missions with smaller satellites in the European landscape,” said Thys Cronje, CCO of Simera Sense. “For Simera Sense, providing our customers with a strategic advantage with near-real-time space-based intelligence is crucial.”