Planet Launches First Pelican Tech Demonstration and 36 SuperDoves with SpaceX

Published a year ago via Business Wire

Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL), a leading provider of daily data and insights about Earth, today announced that Pelican-1, the first tech demonstration satellite for its next-generation, high-resolution Pelican fleet, along with 36 of its SuperDoves, Flock 4Q, were successfully launched to orbit on SpaceX’s Transporter-9 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Saturday, November 11, 2023. The Planet team has successfully made contact with each satellite and started its commissioning process.

The launch of Pelican-1 is a major milestone for Planet’s next-generation high-resolution mission. Over time, the Pelican constellation is expected to offer a more capable and cost-effective upgrade to the Company’s current high-resolution satellites, the SkySats. Pelican-1 is not expected to produce commercially available data; rather the R&D satellite is tasked with collecting information and on-orbit learnings for integration into Planet’s future Pelican and Tanager designs, which share a common satellite bus.

“Pelican-1 was designed and built entirely by the Planet team in our manufacturing lab in San Francisco, an incredible feat to accomplish in just a few short years,” said James Mason, Planet’s Senior Vice President of Space Systems. “I am incredibly proud of the team’s dedication to this project and ready for the next phase of the mission - collecting instrumental learnings and feedback from Pelican-1 on-orbit. These learnings will be critical to both the Pelican and Tanager missions.”

Planet launches a number of SuperDoves each year in order to replenish its on-orbit medium resolution fleet with the latest technology and hardware. The 36 SuperDoves launched today, Planet’s Flock 4Q, have started their automated commissioning process and are expected to begin collecting imagery in the coming days. Today, Planet’s SuperDoves capture daily, 8-band data of Earth’s changing systems, allowing commercial users, researchers, and governments to gain unparalleled insight at regional and global scales.

To learn more about Planet’s on-orbit fleet and its products and services available today, visit its website.

About Planet Labs PBC

Planet is a leading provider of global, daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions. Planet is driven by a mission to image the world every day, and make change visible, accessible and actionable. Founded in 2010 by three NASA scientists, Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest Earth observation fleet of imaging satellites. Planet provides mission-critical data, advanced insights, and software solutions to over 900 customers, comprising the world’s leading agriculture, forestry, intelligence, education and finance companies and government agencies, enabling users to simply and effectively derive unique value from satellite imagery. Planet is a public benefit corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange as PL. To learn more visit www.planet.com and follow us on Twitter.

Forward Looking Statements

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on Planet’s management’s beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to them. Because such statements are based on expectations as to future financial and operating results and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ materially from those projected. Factors which may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: whether the market for Planet’s products and services that is built upon our data set, which has not existing before, will grow as expected; whether current customers or prospective customers adopt Planet’s platform; whether Planet will be able to compete effectively with the increasing competition in its market Planet’s international operations creating business and economic risks that could impact its operations and financial results; the interruption or failure of Planet’s satellite operations, information technology infrastructure or loss of its data storage; whether Planet experiences any adverse events, such as delayed launches, launch failures, its satellites failing to reach their planned orbital locations, its satellites failing to operate as intended, being destroyed or otherwise becoming inoperable, the cost of satellite launches significantly increasing and/or satellite launch providers not having sufficient capacity; Planet’s satellites not being able to capture Earth images due to weather, natural disasters or other external factors, or as a result of its constellation of satellites having restrained capacity; if Planet is unable to develop and release product and service enhancements to respond to rapid technological change, or to develop new designs and technologies for its satellites, in a timely and cost-effective manner. All forward-looking statements reflect Planet’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. Planet undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

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