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PlanetScope Overview

Mission Background

Planet Labs's launch of the PlanetScope Doves and SuperDoves is organised around the main idea to image Earth every day.

Planet designs, builds and operates ultra-compact, inexpensive cubesats which can be manufactured in bulk. 

Over 430+ Doves and SuperDoves from PlanetScope have been launched into very similar orbit planes, circling Earth every 90 minutes:

  • 12 satellites on 22 June 2016
  • 88 satellites on 15 February 2017
  • 48 satellites on 14 July 2017
  • 4 satellites on 31 October 2017
  • 4 satellites on 12 January 2018
  • 16 satellites on 29 November 2018
  • 3 satellites on 3 December 2018
  • 12 satellites on 27 December 2018
  • 20 satellites on 1 April 2019
  • 12 satellites on 27 November 2019
  • 26 satellites on 3 September 2020
  • 9 satellites on 28 October 2020
  • 48 satellites on 24 January 2021
  • 44 satellites on 13 January 2022

Infographic

See an overview of the PlanetScope mission in this infographic:

Summary of the PlanetScope and SkySat missions
Download the infographic

Satellite Design

Each of the satellites is calibrated with an absolute accuracy of better than 5%.

Technical Specifications
Mass5.8 kg
Dimensions10 cm x 10 cm x 30 cm each
Design Lifetime2-3 years

 

Mission Operations

The fleet of Dove and SuperDove satellites operate in a relatively low orbit of 475-525 km. The operational satellites take images with resolutions of 3.7-4.2 GSD.

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