The partnership aims to strengthen the nation’s space domain awareness and bolster its ability to monitor and interpret the increasingly complex orbital environment.
Under the agreement, HEO and Quantum Aero will work together to explore opportunities for integrating non-Earth imaging (NEI) technology into the South Korean government and commercial space programs. The collaboration will bring together HEO’s advanced high-frequency imaging technology and Quantum Aero’s established local engineering expertise across the defence and aerospace sectors.
HEO chief executive officer Will Crowe said the partnership represents a major step in expanding transparency and security in space.
“Non-Earth imaging changes how we see and understand activities in orbit,” Crowe said. “Partnering with Quantum Aero allows us to extend those capabilities into one of Asia’s most advanced space markets and support Korea’s growing ambitions in both national and commercial space operations.”
Quantum Aero founder and chairman Dongkeun Jeon said the collaboration would merge the strengths of both companies to deliver cutting-edge orbital insights.
“By combining HEO’s non-Earth imaging data with Quantum Aero’s defence AI expertise and network, we can enable autonomous, ground-free assessment of satellite health and status,” Jeon said.
“This partnership represents a significant step forward in extending defence AI autonomy into the orbital domain and setting a new benchmark for AI-driven space situational awareness in Korea.”
The partnership marks a key milestone in HEO’s global growth strategy and reinforces its mission to make space more transparent. Through high-frequency imaging of satellites, space debris and other orbital assets, the company provides actionable intelligence to enhance security, operational awareness and sustainability in orbit.
HEO’s non-Earth imaging technology relies on a distributed network of sensors hosted on both partner and Earth observation satellites to deliver detailed, persistent monitoring across the Earth–moon system. Its autonomous software enables large-scale satellite inspection and tracking for government, defence and commercial customers.
Headquartered in Australia, HEO operates offices in the United Kingdom and the United States, with its latest partnership signalling a deeper expansion into the Asia-Pacific region’s fast-growing space sector.
The collaboration is expected to pave the way for next-generation capabilities in satellite intelligence and space safety, reflecting a shared commitment to innovation and responsible operations beyond Earth’s atmosphere.