HEO vs L3Harris: Defense & intelligence compared

November 2026 edition · assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence

L3Harris ranks 3 on the Space 100 with a score of 91; HEO ranks 85 with 66. L3Harris is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, progress, positioning, firepower and leverage. Level on technology. HEO is based in Australia, L3Harris in Melbourne, United States. L3Harris: Public. HEO is named in 15 signals and L3Harris in 109.

HEO →

Australia · Space · Applications / Defense & intelligence · heospace.com

HEO sells Non-Earth Imaging services to government and intelligence customers, providing imagery of spacecraft and other objects in orbit.

Space 100 · rank 85 · score 66

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment6
Production4
Commercials4
Progress8
Technology8
Positioning8
Firepower6
Leverage6

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

HEO is an Australian company (Sydney) and the category creator of commercial non-Earth imaging (photographing satellites from other satellites), with seven first-generation camera missions and its Adler Mk2 GEO-hardened camera flying in 2026, plus >50 sensors accessible after a Planet SkySat integration (August 2026). It is the asset-light space-domain-awareness model (cameras in the right place, not big satellites), acquired Satellogic's NewSat-34 (Australia's first sovereign sub-meter imaging asset), and moved its NRO relationship to operational integration (a February 2026 CSO contract). Revenue is estimated at 10-100m (the NRO contract is small-dollar, seven-figure class).

Latest signals

  • Satellogic secured a three-year non-Earth imaging agreement with HEO.Via Satellite
  • BlackSky extended its HEO agreement with a seven-figure annual non-Earth imaging contract.Satellite Evolution
  • BlackSky Technology renewed its HEO partnership and added Gen-3 imagery to the agreement.Payload

15 signals name HEO.

Facts, with sources

  • Impulse Space, Starfish Space, and HEO collaborated on imaging the Mira rendezvousSpace.com
  • [object Object]Payload
  • HEO and Planet Labs partnered to integrate SkySat imagery into HEO’s non-Earth imaging networkPayload

12 facts on file.

L3Harris →

Melbourne, Florida, United States · Space · Applications / Defense & intelligence · Public · l3harris.com

L3Harris builds spacecraft for defense and intelligence missions, including SDA missile-warning satellites, and supplies optical, communications and guidance systems for space missions.

Space 100 · rank 3 · score 91Robotics · member · score 66

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment8
Production10
Commercials10
Progress10
Technology8
Positioning10
Firepower10
Leverage8

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

L3Harris is a US defense prime (NYSE:LHX, ~$21B group) whose missile-tracking satellite franchise has 4 Tranche 0 satellites on orbit plus 34 in development, winning an $843M T3 Tracking Layer award (December 2025) and a $955M AMDT3 award (July 2026) for fire-control-quality sensors due by end-2028 under the Golden Dome mandate. It is Golden Dome's biggest visible satellite winner, its $1.75B AMDT3 (split with Sierra Space) sitting atop the December 2025 $3.5B/72-satellite T3 round, with Aerojet Rocketdyne propulsion under the group and Army NGC2 orders adding demand. It is the defense-prime space engine at full demand.

Latest signals

  • L3Harris Technologies is developing a longer-range interceptor to counter drones for the U.S. Army.Interesting Engineering
  • L3Harris Technologies and Skydio are integrating tactical radio technology into U.S. military drones.Interesting Engineering
  • HGT Law announced an investigation into L3Harris Technologies.PR Newswire, all releases

109 signals name L3Harris.

Facts, with sources

  • Unveiled Wraith Shield software for countering small dronesL3Harris
  • Selected by the U.S. Navy to deliver VAMPIRE counter-drone systemsL3Harris
  • Delivering VAMPIRE systems to the U.S. ArmyL3Harris

74 facts on file.

More comparisons

Questions this page answers

HEO or L3Harris: which is ahead in space?

L3Harris ranks 3 on the Space 100 with a score of 91; HEO ranks 85 with 66. L3Harris is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, progress, positioning, firepower and leverage. Level on technology. HEO is based in Australia, L3Harris in Melbourne, United States. L3Harris: Public. HEO is named in 15 signals and L3Harris in 109.

How do HEO and L3Harris compare?

L3Harris ranks 3 on the Space 100 with a score of 91; HEO ranks 85 with 66. L3Harris is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, progress, positioning, firepower and leverage. Level on technology. HEO is based in Australia, L3Harris in Melbourne, United States. L3Harris: Public. HEO is named in 15 signals and L3Harris in 109. Both company files carry the scores on eight measures, the facts with sources and the latest signals.

Every comparison here comes from the same files members use every day.

Members see every signal and fact behind both companies, the live ranking, the questions the signals answer and the week explained. $99 a month, 7-day trial. What Frontier Tech Intelligence is →

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