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Imaging the Entire Earth Every Day: An Overview of the Planet Labs “Mission 1” Constellation

Founded in 2010 by a team of ex-NASA scientists, Planet Labs is driven by a mission to image the entire Earth every day, and provide universal access to that data. Planet Labs started as a small team of physicists, aerospace and mechanical engineers in a garage, using the cubesat form-factor to inform the first designs of their “Dove” satellites.  Just two years after their first satellite entered space, Planet Labs no operates the largest constellation of Earth-imaging satellites.

Planet Labs’ satellites are collecting a radical new data set with endless, real-world applications. Whether it’s measuring agricultural yields, monitoring natural resources, or aiding first responders after natural disasters, Planet Labs data is here to lend businesses and humanitarian organizations a helping hand. Planet Labs believes timely, global imagery will empower informed, deliberate and meaningful stewardship of our planet.

With 113 satellites already put into space, this is the largest operating fleet in the history of Earth imaging satellites.  With over 150 more satellites to be launched in 2016, Planet Labs will be in a unique position to image more of the earth every single day than ever before.