Planet
Pandemic fuels demand for satellite imagery
Demand is growing for satellite imagery to gauge the economic impact of the new coronavirus and for remote monitoring of facilities and infrastructure.
NASA to buy more commercial Earth observation data
NASA will seek continued access to Earth observation data gathered by commercial satellite constellations after a pilot program proved the value of those observations.
Planet stepping up marketing to defense and intelligence agencies
Rep. Derek Kilmer said commercial geospatial data should be used to supplement imagery from classified sources.
NRO awards imagery subscription contract to Planet
The National Reconnaissance Office awarded a commercial imagery subscription contract to Planet Labs Federal, a subsidiary of Earth observation company Planet.
Planet to offer higher resolution, more spectral bands
Planet is preparing to offer 50-centimeter-resolution imagery from its SkySat constellation and updating Dove satellites to gather imagery in eight spectral bands.
Sky Perfect JSAT, challenged by TV business, hedges bets on HAPS, 5G, HTS and smallsats
JSAT has lost more than half a million satellite television subscribers since 2013, when that business reached 3.83 million subscribers — the highest level in JSAT’s history.
Op-ed | Two more rules for building a megaconstellation
While the concept of constellation is not new, the challenges connected to operating hundreds of spacecraft at the same time are yet to be fully understood.
ESA evaluates data from Iceye, Planet and Spire Global
The European Space Agency announced plans July 29 to evaluate data from Iceye’s radar satellite constellation, Planet’s electro optical satellites and Spire Global’s weather, maritime- and aviation-tracking satellites to complement its own Earth observation constellation.
Three rules for building a megaconstellation
Six years ago, Planet began launching smallsats for a constellation that today numbers 140, making it the largest commercial satellite system in the world. By the end of this year, Planet may no longer hold that title.
Satellites to the rescue after natural disasters
Since 2000, international space agencies have shared data free of charge through the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters. Increasingly, private companies also publicly release disaster-related imagery and data.
Satellite imagery startups to challenge Maxar for big government contracts
The NRO is ready to start buying products from new vendors and move beyond the single-supplier arrangement with Maxar Technologies.
NRO shares plans for commercial imagery acquisition
"We expect our investment in commercial in total to increase going forward," said Troy Meink, who leads NRO’s Geospatial Intelligence Directorate. "As you can imagine with the increase in requirements, there's going to be an increase in the cost.
NRO awards study contracts to BlackSky, Maxar and Planet
The National Reconnaissance Office awarded commercial imagery study contracts to BlackSky Global, Maxar Technologies and Planet, Troy Meink, who leads NRO’s Geospatial Intelligence Directorate, announced June 3.
NASA awards Planet $6.7 million for climate campaign
NASA awarded Planet a $6.7 million contract to provide Earth imagery for climate research.
India ASAT debris spotted above 2,200 kilometers, will remain a year or more in orbit
At least a dozen fragments from India’s March 27 anti-satellite test reached altitudes above 1,000 kilometers, meaning some debris will stay in orbit much longer than estimated by India, according to research from Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI).
Planet to acquire software specialist Boundless Spatial
Earth observation company Planet plans to acquire Boundless Spatial Inc., a geospatial software specialist “to accelerate the adoption by government and enterprise customers of commercial geospatial information services,” said Robbie Schingler, Planet co-founder and chief strategy officer.
