Planet Labs Satellite Imagery and Earth Data Solutions

Planet Labs offers a range of satellite imagery and Earth data solutions that cater to various needs. Their products include high-resolution satellite imagery, daily satellite imagery, and tasking and delivery options.

Their satellite imagery is captured at a resolution of up to 3.7 meters, providing detailed views of the Earth's surface. This data can be used for a variety of applications, including environmental monitoring, urban planning, and disaster response.

Planet Labs' data is collected by a constellation of small satellites that provide global coverage. This allows for frequent updates and a vast amount of data to be collected.

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Planet Labs uses satellite technology to capture images of the Earth's surface. Their satellites are small, weighing about 4.7 kg, and are launched into space to collect data.

These satellites are equipped with high-resolution cameras that can capture images of the Earth's surface with a resolution of up to 3 meters. This allows Planet Labs to provide detailed information about the Earth's surface, including changes in land use and natural disasters.

Planet Labs has launched over 200 satellites into space, making them one of the largest satellite constellations in the world.

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Planet Labs' original Dove CubeSats are roughly the size of a shoebox, measuring 10x10x30 centimeters.

These tiny satellites weigh around 5 kilograms, which is incredibly small for a satellite that provides high-resolution imagery.

The SuperDove satellites are similar in size but feature enhanced imagery, processing power, and better deployable solar panels.

The SkySat format, which Planet gained access to through its acquisition of Terra Bella, is a bit larger, approximately the size of a minifridge at around 80 centimeters long.

SkySat weighs about 100 kilograms, which is significantly more than the original Dove CubeSats.

Planet Labs' satellites are designed to be lightweight and inexpensive, making them ideal for deployment piecemeal or in groups as part of other payloads.

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NASA has just extended its contract with Planet Labs Inc. to provide satellite imagery for scientific purposes to all U.S. federal civilian agencies.

This contract expansion gives access to roughly 280,000 eligible data users across the U.S. federal government.

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Planet Labs Inc. will provide satellite imagery from their PlanetScope and RapidEye satellite constellations.

To obtain access to Planet data, you'll need to submit a CSDA Program Authorization Request Form.

Since 2019, scientists have used Planet imagery for research projects on climate change, biodiversity loss, and complex sustainability problems.

Researchers have used Planet imagery to monitor melting summer ice in Greenland, evaluate corn and soybean yields, and map snow-covered areas via machine learning.

The CSDA program is a component of NASA's Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program, established in 2017 to acquire remote sensing imagery and data.

So far in 2021, researchers have used Planet imagery to investigate the causes behind the massive Chamoli landslide in India.

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Planet Labs makes money by providing daily or even hourly updates of high-resolution imagery in multiple spectral bands through its "flocks" of satellites.

The company offers subscription services to its imagery and imagery products, which are in an analysis- and machine-learning-ready format.

Planet's licensed imagery products include global, daily 3-5 meter per pixel resolution imagery as well as taskable rapid revisit 50cm pixel resolution imagery.

The company has a multi-year contract with Google, who purchases Earth-imaging data from Planet.

Planet Labs has a diverse client base, including several prominent American government agencies, as well as other world governments.

To get started with Planet Labs, you'll need to request an account if you're a Yale affiliate with an active NetID. This process typically takes 2-5 business days.

You can access Planet's satellite imagery through various tools and platforms once your account is activated. These tools include Planet Explorer, Basemap Viewer, GIS Integrations, and Planet API.

To access these tools, simply navigate to the Planet Account Applications Menu from your account dashboard. You'll find links to documentation for each service, making it easy to get started.

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If you're a Yale affiliate with an active NetID, you can request a named Planet user account for research or teaching purposes.

To do this, you'll need to complete the Request Form, which is usually processed within 2-5 business days.

Don't create an account with the email address you provide until you receive an invitation from Planet.

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With Planet, you can access its satellite imagery through various tools and platforms. You can access these tools directly from your account menu once your account is activated.

Planet Explorer is a web-based interface that lets you browse, compare, and download daily satellite imagery. You can access it directly from your account menu.

Basemap Viewer provides seamless mosaics of processed imagery, offering a clear and cohesive view of the Earth. You can view, compare, and download individual tiles using this tool, accessible via your account menu.

You can connect Planet data to GIS platforms like QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, and Google Earth Engine using available plugins. However, this requires installation of a plugin and configuration of your API key.

Planet API allows you to access imagery programmatically, ideal for automating downloads, processing, and analysis. A sample Python Jupyter Notebook is available to help you get started, but it requires API key setup.

Here are the tools you can access through your Planet account:

Planet Labs offers a variety of imagery and data options, including PlanetScope, RapidEye, and Public Imagery. These datasets provide high-resolution images of the Earth's surface, making them ideal for research and application purposes.

PlanetScope is Planet's flagship product, offering near-daily imagery at 3-meter resolution from 2014 to the present. It initially captured 4 bands (red, green, blue, and near-infrared), but expanded in 2020 to include 4 additional bands: red edge, green I, coastal blue, and yellow.

RapidEye is a legacy dataset available from 2009 to 2020, providing daily 5-meter resolution imagery across 4 bands (red, green, blue, and near-infrared). This dataset is useful for researchers who need to access data from a specific time period.

Public Imagery includes imagery from NASA's Landsat 8 and ESA's Sentinel-2 missions. These multi-band datasets offer lower resolution and do not count against Planet's imagery quota.

Planet's imagery is also used for scientific research, including studies on climate change, biodiversity loss, and complex sustainability problems. In fact, NASA has expanded its contract with Planet Labs Inc. to provide satellite imagery for scientific purposes to all U.S. federal civilian agencies, the National Science Foundation, and other eligible data users.

Here are some of the key features of Planet's imagery and data options:

Planet Labs recently made some exciting news with the successful launch of two high-resolution satellites, Pelican-3 and Pelican-4. These satellites were launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The company has successfully established contact with both satellites and begun the commissioning process. This marks a significant operational update for Planet Labs, building on recent positive momentum.

Shares of the company jumped 4% in the pre-market session after the announcement, but cooled down to a 0.1% increase from the previous close at $6.99.