Planet Labs PBC, a global leader in daily Earth observation data and insights, announced the successful deployment of its high-resolution Pelican-2 satellite along with 36 SuperDoves from Flock 4G during SpaceX’s Transporter-12 Rideshare mission, launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Planet team has since confirmed contact with the Pelican-2 and initiated its commissioning process.
Pelican-2 joins its predecessor, Pelican-1, which was launched as a smallsat technology demonstration last year. Together, the two satellites form the backbone of Planet’s next-generation, high-resolution fleet, aimed at enhancing and expanding the company’s existing SkySat capabilities. Planet plans additional Pelican launches within the year, further advancing its satellite infrastructure.
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Designed to provide imagery with up to 40 cm resolution, Pelican-2 offers comprehensive data across six multispectral bands, optimized for cross-sensor analysis. This cutting-edge satellite is equipped with the NVIDIA Jetson platform, developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, to enable on-orbit computing. This integration is set to drastically reduce the time between data capture and actionable insights, delivering significant value to Planet’s customers.
Planet is a leading provider of global, daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions, committed to the mission of imaging the world every day. By making change visible, accessible, and actionable, Planet empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions. Founded in 2010 by three NASA scientists, Planet has designed, built, and operates the world’s largest Earth observation fleet. With a customer base of over 1,000 global organizations—including top agriculture, forestry, intelligence, education, finance companies, and government agencies—Planet delivers mission-critical data, advanced insights, and software solutions that unlock unique value from satellite imagery.