Satellogic and HEO Release Images of Merlin.01 in Orbit, 18 Months After Program Kickoff
Merlin.01 is responding to commands, while payload testing and commissioning remain ahead of expected full service in 2027.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Summary
Satellogic (SATL) and HEO released orbital images of Merlin.01 showing deployed solar arrays following the satellite’s October 1, 2026 launch.
Merlin.01 launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission, 18 months after the program began in March 2025. NewSat-47 captured the images for HEO on October 4; Satellogic’s telemetry also confirms array deployment. Contact was established about 20 minutes after separation from the rocket, and onboard software was updated within the first two days. The satellite is stable, responding to commands and in good health, with power and thermal systems performing as expected.
Merlin.01 remains in its early-orbit phase, with payload testing and commissioning next. Satellogic expects full service in the second half of 2027.
How this balance works
Rhea-AI gives every point it takes from this document a weight. Minor counts 1, Moderate 3 and Major 9, so one Major point outweighs several Minor ones. The bar adds up the weights on each side, and when neither side holds more than 65% of the total the balance reads Mixed.
It reads the document as published, with the same rules for every company, and it does not look at what the market expected or at how the stock traded, so a point can be objectively good on a day the stock falls.
Rhea-AI Sentiment measures something else, the tone of the wording.
Hollow bars mark forward-looking points. How the balance works
Positive
- Moderate pointMerlin.01 launched on October 1, 2026, 18 months after program kickoff, matching the previously predicted month.
- Moderate point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Satellogic expects full service in the second half of 2027.
- Minor pointDeployed solar arrays were confirmed by HEO imagery and Satellogic telemetry.
- Minor pointInitial contact occurred about 20 minutes after rocket separation; software was updated within the first two days.
- Minor pointMerlin.01 is stable and in good health, with power and thermal systems performing as expected.
Negative
- Minor pointPayload testing and commissioning remain pending as Merlin.01 continues its early-orbit phase.
Key Figures
- Imaging distance
- 53 km
- Merlin.01 image taken by NewSat-47
- Image resolution
- 8 cm/px
- Merlin.01 image taken by NewSat-47
- Merlin.01 launch
- October 1, 2026
- SpaceX Transporter-18 mission
- Program kickoff to launch
- 18 months
- Satellogic formally kicked off the Merlin program in March 2025
- Full service availability
- Second half of 2027
- Expected timing
Historical Context
-
Merlin.01 launched successfully and entered early orbit ahead of planned commissioning.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
telemetry technical
magnetorquer technical
inter-satellite links technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
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.
NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ: SATL), the infrastructure company for Persistent Global Intelligence (PGI), and HEO, a space intelligence company that uses satellites to photograph and analyze other objects in space, today released images of Merlin.01 in orbit. These images were taken on October 4th by NewSat-47, a Satellogic-built Earth observation satellite that HEO accesses as part of their non-Earth imaging (NEI) capability. They show Merlin.01's solar arrays deployed and sun facing, and Satellogic's telemetry confirms it. The image was taken from a distance of 53km with a resolution of 8cm/px.
Merlin.01 launched on October 1, 2026, aboard SpaceX's Transporter-18 mission, just 18 months after Satellogic formally kicked off the Merlin program in March 2025. The company then accurately predicted seven months ago that Merlin’s first deployment would occur in October 2026.
Satellogic contacted Merlin.01 on its first pass, about 20 minutes after it separated from the rocket, and then updated its onboard software within the first two days. The satellite is stable, responding to commands, in good health, and its power and thermal systems are performing as expected. Merlin.01 is still in its early-orbit phase. Payload testing and commissioning come next, and the full service is expected to be available in the second half of 2027.
“For defense and intelligence buyers, speed-to-orbit matters.” said Vice Admiral (Ret.) Trey Whitworth, Satellogic’s President. “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.”
Satellogic built Merlin on its proven NewSat platform rather than starting from scratch. Years of R&D, an experienced operations team, as well as in-house design, manufacturing, and testing enabled the team to adapt quickly with in-house parts and engineering. For example, when Merlin needed a larger magnetorquer, a part that helps steer the satellite, Satellogic built one with its own supply chain, parts, and test setup.
“This is our own fleet working for us,” said 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.”
A HEO-generated model of Merlin.01, shown from the same angle as HEO's Oct. 4, 2026, image for comparison. Illustration: 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,” said Dr. 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.”
Merlin.01 is the first satellite in Satellogic's Merlin constellation, which is designed to be a global detection layer for monitoring whole regions. Merlin satellites will carry 10-band payloads aligned with Sentinel-2, with 1m-class imagery and an effective swath of 170 km, so the constellation can remap the whole Earth every day. Merlin is built to process imagery with AI on board. Using links between satellites, it is designed to cue NewSat Mark VI satellites to take 50 cm follow-up images without first going through a ground station.
About Satellogic
Founded in 2010, Satellogic (NASDAQ: SATL) builds the infrastructure for Persistent Global Intelligence (PGI): continuous, proactive awareness of the places, assets, and activities that matter. The company combines high-cadence satellite collection, best-in-class technology, AI-accelerated workflows, and sovereign-trusted architecture to help customers move from episodic imagery to persistent monitoring programs.
Satellogic serves allied defense and intelligence agencies, civil governments, and commercial markets that need reliable, scalable awareness of change across large portfolios of sites. Customers can begin with discovery, expand into persistent monitoring, and build toward dedicated or sovereign-controlled capacity as their mission requirements grow. To learn more, please visit: https://www.satellogic.com.
About HEO
HEO is building the intelligence layer for space. We image objects in orbit on demand, turning existing satellites into inspection platforms and building our own sensors where coverage gaps remain. Our software automates tasking, capture and analysis, turning imagery into decision-ready intelligence about satellites, debris and other objects in orbit. HEO operates internationally, with offices in Australia, France, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Our goal is to make any image in the Solar System available on Demand. To learn more, please visit: https://www.heospace.com/
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intends," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on Satellogic's current expectations and beliefs concerning, among other things, the capabilities, performance, and potential applications of Satellogic's satellites, constellations, satellite software, and pipeline. Although we believe our plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot give any assurance that we either will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks related to the performance of satellites and software once in orbit and reliance on third parties. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of the Company. Many factors could cause actual future results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to the risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Satellogic's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed or to be filed by Satellogic from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Satellogic assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Contacts
Satellogic Investor Relations:
ir@satellogic.com
Satellogic Media Relations:
pr@satellogic.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4152a1e0-9f4d-45b1-b845-d51d64c5b860
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7a4c5249-805a-450b-a883-071f63a0c000
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What do Satellogic and HEO’s Merlin.01 orbital images show?
The images show Merlin.01’s solar arrays deployed and facing the sun, consistent with Satellogic’s telemetry. NewSat-47 captured the images for HEO on October 4, 2026, following Merlin.01’s October 1 launch.
When does Satellogic expect Merlin.01 full service to be available?
Satellogic expects full service to be available in the second half of 2027. Merlin.01 is still in its early-orbit phase, with payload testing and commissioning next.