Satellogic and HEO Release Images of Merlin.01 in Orbit, 18 Months After Program Kickoff
Globe Newswire•13/10/2026•08:00 ET
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Key Highlights
- ➤Merlin.01 stable and healthy after October 1, 2026, launch aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18
- ➤NewSat-47 imaged Merlin.01 at 8cm/px from 53km on October 4
- ➤Satellogic delivered Merlin.01 from program kickoff to orbit in 18 months
- ➤Full Merlin service expected in the second half of 2027
- ➤Merlin constellation targets daily global remapping with 1m-class imagery
Expert Statements
Trey Whitworth, President of Satellogic
“For defense and intelligence buyers, speed-to-orbit matters.”
Trey Whitworth, President of Satellogic
“Satellogic delivered Merlin from a blueprint to spaceborne collection in only 18 months. In a world of accelerating bad actors, our speed and predictability allow agencies to plan with confidence for integrating Satellogic’s world-class capabilities.”
Gonzalo Castillo, VP of Product & Customer Success at Satellogic
“This is our own fleet working for us.”
Gonzalo Castillo, VP of Product & Customer Success at Satellogic
“A NewSat already in orbit helped HEO capture Merlin.01 within days of its launch, giving us an independent look at a brand-new satellite that we started designing only 18 months ago. The image it took is proof of the flexibility vertical integration can provide across multiple satellite constellations.”
Hiranya Jayakody, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of HEO
“Imaging a brand-new satellite within days of launch is exactly what non-Earth imaging is built for. This capability gave the team an independent view of Merlin.01, consistent with its solar arrays being deployed, to sit alongside their own telemetry.”
Hiranya Jayakody, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of HEO
“Getting that kind of insight quickly, and at scale, is how we make space more transparent.”
Images taken by NewSat-47 show Merlin.01's solar arrays deployed, and the satellite is stable and in good health
Merlin.01 in orbit on Oct. 4, 2026, imaged by NewSat-47 for HEO. White boxes mark its bus and deployed solar arrays. Image: HEO.
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