Leo the space telescope

Leo is the space telescope that Planetary Resources will use as a stepping-stone to near-Earth asteroids. The low Earth orbit telescope, the Arkyd 100 series is Planetary Resources' scout vehicle.

Scheduled to be put into low-Earth orbit by the end of next year the craft will use optical spectroscopy to determine asteroid composition and assess whether it is a potential target for asteroid prospecting.

Critical to the success of their program, Planetary Resources says, is the development of tools including collaborative exploration, deep space optical communications, and efficient micro-propulsion.