Satellogic, Inc. and Australian space company HEO have announced a landmark agreement that strengthens Australia’s sovereign space capability through the acquisition of an in-orbit satellite. Under the deal, HEO has taken full title ownership of NewSat-34, a legacy Mark IV-g satellite already operating in space, becoming the first Australian organisation to own and operate a sub-meter resolution satellite.
The satellite, now renamed Continuum-1, is actively collecting data, providing HEO with immediate operational capability. The transaction marks the first time Satellogic has sold a legacy, in-orbit satellite through its Sovereignty Government Programme and represents a major milestone in Australia’s space maturity.
With full ownership and operational control, Continuum-1 will serve as HEO’s dedicated in-orbit research and development platform for non-Earth imaging. The satellite will be used to test new image acquisition techniques, expand HEO’s imagery archive, and generate AI-ready datasets critical to advancing autonomous non-Earth imaging systems.
The acquisition delivers sovereign space capability without the long timelines and high costs typically associated with designing, building and launching a new satellite. As an Australian-owned and controlled asset, Continuum-1 provides independent access to high-resolution space-based data, ensuring national priorities can be met without reliance on foreign systems or commercial queues.
Originally designed by Satellogic for high-resolution Earth observation, the satellite retains significant imaging capacity beyond its primary non-Earth imaging mission. This allows Continuum-1 to deliver additional benefits as Australia’s first sovereign sub-meter remote sensing satellite, supporting research, innovation, and national interests while extending the operational life of a proven platform.
Dr Will Crowe, CEO and Co-Founder of HEO, said: “The acquisition of NewSat-34 represents a historic shift in our nation’s space maturity. 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.”
Luciano Giesso, Vice President of Space Systems at Satellogic, added: “Selling an in-orbit legacy satellite like NewSat-34 removes a major operational constraint for customers that require sovereignty, control, and speed. Ownership delivers full priority and capacity for mission execution, enabling higher cadence and availability than is possible through shared or third-party access. This is the fastest path to sovereign space capability.”
The deal builds on a long-standing commercial relationship between Satellogic and HEO, which previously focused on imagery services. With the acquisition of Continuum-1, the partnership now extends to satellite ownership and operations, bringing the entire imaging lifecycle under HEO’s control.
Satellogic will continue to provide operational support for the satellite as HEO assumes control and begins its new mission. Formerly known as NewSat-34, also called Amelia Earhart, Continuum-1 will continue operating from its current orbit as it supports Australia’s growing space ecosystem.
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