a related release says
Today, a multi-launch agreement was announced with Planet Labs PBC, a prominent provider of daily data and insights about changes on Earth. Planet's satellites will be launched from Nova, a Space Launch Complex at Cape Canaveral, the same pad that sent John Glenn into orbit in 1962. This partnership has been in discussions for some time and is now ready to be shared.
Planet operates the largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites in orbit, capturing imagery of Earth's landmass every day. The company develops spacecraft using an agile approach, with each new generation of satellites enhancing the knowledge gained from the previous one in orbit. Operators like Planet regularly launch to increase and replenish their fleets, and this consistent demand is what the Nova fleet aims to meet.
The launch schedule is tailored around Planet's mission needs, ensuring a launch built around the customer's schedule. A fully reusable vehicle is central to this flexibility, making launch infrastructure reliable. By utilizing full reuse, launch operations become sustainable, minimizing the footprint of every mission. Nothing remains in orbit or the ocean, and each vehicle that is flown again reduces the amount of material and energy required to build new hardware for each launch.
The data and insights provided by Planet's constellation support a similar mission in orbit. Planet images Earth's entire landmass on a near-daily basis, creating a valuable record used by various stakeholders. This includes defense and intelligence agencies, farmers and foresters, disaster-response teams, and financial and infrastructure analysts.
They rely on the data to monitor changes as they happen, ranging from illegal logging and methane leaks to floods, urban growth, and economic activity. The success of these efforts depends on satellites reaching orbit frequently and affordably.
Written by urgent.news from Ars Technica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.