What Is SWIRSAT?
SWIRSAT is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation developed by LatConnect 60 to capture short-wave infrared (SWIR) imagery of the Earth's surface. Designed primarily for defence, security, and sovereign government missions, SWIRSAT addresses a long-standing gap in space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR): the lack of persistent, operationally usable SWIR data. The first two satellites in the constellation are fully funded and scheduled to launch by the end of Q1 2027, with the programme designed to scale toward daily global revisit as more satellites join the network.
What Is SWIR, and Why Does It Matter?
Short-wave infrared refers to a specific band of the electromagnetic spectrum, roughly 1,000 to 1,750 nanometres, that sits just beyond what the human eye, and most conventional satellite cameras, can detect. Unlike standard optical or visible-light imagery, SWIR can see through many of the atmospheric and environmental conditions that typically degrade surveillance quality, including haze, smoke, sea mist, light cloud, and even certain camouflage or concealment materials.
This matters because a large share of real-world monitoring happens in exactly these degraded conditions. Coastal and maritime environments are often obscured by moisture and aerosol loading. Conflict zones and disaster sites are frequently covered in smoke or debris. Adversaries actively use camouflage and concealment to defeat visual detection. In each case, optical imagery alone can leave analysts with an incomplete picture, which is precisely the gap SWIR is built to close.
The SWIRSAT Constellation at a Glance
SWIRSAT is built and operated by LatConnect 60, an Australian-headquartered Earth observation and satellite intelligence company. The programme is backed by public funding from the Australian Space Agency and the Government of Western Australia, reflecting institutional confidence in both the technology and its strategic value.
The rollout is phased: SWIRSAT-1 and SWIRSAT-2 are fully funded and on track for launch by Q1 2027, delivering global revisit of every four to seven days at first. As the constellation grows toward nine or more satellites, revisit rates are designed to improve toward daily global coverage, allowing for more persistent monitoring of priority areas over time.
What Is SWIRSAT Used For?
SWIRSAT is designed to complement, not replace, existing optical, radar (SAR), and thermal imaging systems, adding a confirmation and discrimination layer where those systems alone fall short. Common applications include:
Maritime domain awareness
detecting, classifying, and tracking vessels in coastal and littoral areas where sea mist and atmospheric moisture routinely degrade optical imagery, including cases where vessels attempt to avoid identification.
Infrastructure monitoring and change detection
identifying subtle surface disturbance, moisture changes, or unauthorised activity around borders, critical infrastructure, and sensitive sites, even where efforts have been made to minimise visible indicators.
Counter-concealment
helping distinguish camouflage, decoys, and artificial structures from natural terrain.
Post-event assessment
supporting faster damage and situational assessment through smoke, dust, or debris following fires, industrial incidents, or other disruptive events.
A Sovereign, Interoperable Approach
SWIRSAT has been designed with data sovereignty and interoperability in mind. Options for controlled, customer-directed data delivery are built into the programme, and the underlying architecture is intended to align with allied procurement and processing frameworks, supporting integration into established government and defence workflows rather than requiring a standalone system.
Looking Ahead
As the SWIRSAT constellation moves toward its first launches, it represents a growing category of purpose-built infrastructure aimed squarely at a real and recognised capability gap: reliable, persistent SWIR imagery at scale. For organisations planning future ISR or Earth observation capability, SWIRSAT offers early visibility into a dataset that has historically been difficult to access outside of niche or experimental programmes.
To learn more about SWIRSAT’s early access framework and capability roadmap, get in touch with the LatConnect 60 team.
A Sovereign, Interoperable Approach
SWIRSAT has been designed with data sovereignty and interoperability in mind. Options for controlled, customer-directed data delivery are built into the programme, and the underlying architecture is intended to align with allied procurement and processing frameworks, supporting integration into established government and defence workflows rather than requiring a standalone system.
Looking Ahead
As the SWIRSAT constellation moves toward its first launches, it represents a growing category of purpose-built infrastructure aimed squarely at a real and recognised capability gap: reliable, persistent SWIR imagery at scale. For organisations planning future ISR or Earth observation capability, SWIRSAT offers early visibility into a dataset that has historically been difficult to access outside of niche or experimental programmes.
To learn more about SWIRSAT’s early access framework and capability roadmap, get in touch with the LatConnect 60 team.