Planet Labs PBC

Planet Labs PBC has successfully launched 20 satellites aboard SpaceX's Transporter-18 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking its 40th successful launch and bringing the total number of satellites it has built and delivered to orbit to 718. The payload comprised the company's second Tanager satellite, 18 SuperDoves and the first demonstration mission associated with Google's Project Suncatcher. Planet Labs established initial contact with Tanager-2, the Suncatcher prototype and two SuperDove satellites after deployment, while the remaining 16 SuperDoves are expected to be deployed through D-Orbit's ION satellite carrier as planned. The Suncatcher demonstration is designed to test the feasibility of using Google Tensor Processing Units in space for machine-learning workloads, and Tanager-2, developed with Carbon Mapper, carries hyperspectral imaging capable of identifying methane emissions and supporting rare-earth element identification, water-quality monitoring and agricultural intelligence, capturing imagery across 426 contiguous spectral bands at roughly 5-nanometer spectral and 30-meter spatial resolution. The 18 SuperDoves are part of Planet Labs' Flock 4J mission and are expected to add capacity to its PlanetScope constellation, which provides near-daily global monitoring, and the company expects to launch at least three additional Tanager satellites.