Next-Generation Satellite Fleets

Pelican Satellites

• Capabilities:

  • High-resolution imaging
  • Enhanced spectral bands
  • Increased imaging capacity
  • Reduced latency
  • Satellite-to-satellite communications for faster tasking and image capture
  • Incorporates NVIDIA's latest Jetson GPU module for edge AI processing

• Applications:

  • Rapid Tasking: Enables quicker deployment of tasks and faster image acquisition.
  • AI-Powered Analysis: Facilitates real-time data processing and insights generation directly on the satellite.
  • Automated Detection: Examples include automatic ship detection to enhance maritime monitoring.

• Purpose:

  • Improve data quality and operational efficiency.
  • Enable faster decision-making for customers across various sectors.

Tanager-1 Hyperspectral Satellite

• Capabilities:

  • Hyperspectral imaging at 3-meter resolution.
  • Daily scans providing continuous and consistent data sets.

• Applications:

  • Environmental Monitoring: Detects methane and CO₂ plumes, aiding in emissions tracking and accountability.
  • Carbon Credit Trading: Supports accurate trend analysis and verification for carbon credit markets.
  • Deforestation Mitigation: Provides detailed data to monitor and prevent deforestation activities.

• Purpose:

  • Offer high-resolution hyperspectral data for environmental and industrial applications.
  • Support government and commercial initiatives in sustainability and efficiency.

SkySat Satellites

• Updates:

  • Increased capacity per satellite to maintain overall system capacity despite some deorbiting.
  • Utilizes a combination of Sun-synchronous and inclined-plane orbits to enhance revisit rates.

• Applications:

  • Continuous Data Sets: Ideal for AI and machine learning applications due to consistent daily scans.
  • Maritime Domain Awareness: Tracks and maps vessel activities for security and monitoring purposes.

• Purpose:

  • Provide a robust and reliable data source for diverse Earth observation needs.
  • Support both commercial and government customers with frequent and high-quality imagery.

Applications and Use Cases

Environmental Monitoring

• Carbon Mapper Partnership:

  • Methane and CO₂ Detection: Identifies and monitors emissions sites globally.
  • Early Intervention: Facilitates actions such as the voluntary fixing of emissions leaks, enhancing environmental accountability.

• AI-Powered Forest Carbon Monitoring:

  • Structure Monitoring: Offers detailed forest structure data to underpin carbon credit markets.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Assists in meeting regulatory requirements and mitigating deforestation.

Precision Agriculture

• Digital Agriculture Solutions:
  • AI Models: Apply algorithms to satellite data for precision farming.
  • Resource Optimization: Helps farmers save 5-10% in nitrogen application, enhancing efficiency and sustainability.

Defense & Intelligence

• Maritime Domain Awareness:
  • Vessel Activity Mapping: Tracks vessel movements to identify and monitor potential threats.
  • National Security: Enhances the ability to detect and respond to security threats over broad areas using AI-enabled data analysis.

Purpose and Benefits

• Accountability and Efficiency:

  • Environmental Action: Empowers companies and governments to act on real-time environmental data.
  • Agricultural Optimization: Enhances farming efficiency and reduces resource consumption through precise data insights.

• Security and Defense:

  • Threat Detection: Provides critical data for identifying and monitoring security threats.
  • Enhanced Monitoring: Supports national and international security initiatives with advanced satellite data.

• Economic Growth and Predictability:

  • AI and Advanced Datasets: Leverages cutting-edge technology to drive business growth and expand market opportunities.
  • Scalable Solutions: Builds greater predictability into Planet’s offerings, ensuring reliable and scalable data services for diverse applications.

Summary

Planet Labs PBC's next-generation satellite fleets, including Pelican, Tanager-1, and SkySat, are pivotal in enhancing data quality, operational efficiency, and application versatility. These satellites serve critical roles in environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, and defense intelligence, leveraging advanced AI and hyperspectral imaging to provide actionable insights. The continuous advancements and strategic applications of these satellite fleets position Planet Labs to support sustainable initiatives, enhance security measures, and drive economic growth through reliable and high-resolution Earth observation data.