Planet to Launch 44 SuperDove Satellites on SpaceX's Falcon 9 Rocket

January 13, 2022

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Planet’s Flock 4x, consisting of 44 SuperDove satellites, is set to launch this Thursday, January 13th on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-3 SSO. This marks the first satellite launch under our new multi-year, multi-launch rideshare agreement with SpaceX.

With this launch, Planet will have more than 240 satellites in orbit. Flock 4x is set to replenish our existing SuperDove fleet which makes up a portion of the larger constellation. The PlanetScope constellation images every terrestrial landmass on Earth by covering 350 million km² each day, providing images with approximately 3 meter per pixel resolution. This unprecedented capability provides our customers with daily data about Earth resources and global events.
Falcon 9 rocket holding 44 Planet SuperDoves on January 12, 2022. Image credit: SpaceX

“We are thrilled to be launching our latest flock with SpaceX. Their reliability and leadership in the launch market makes them a natural choice for this mission. Flock 4x will provide the PlanetScope constellation with the latest and strongest capabilities to help meet customer needs,” said Planet CEO Will Marshall.

To date, we’ve launched 83 satellites with SpaceX across seven launches. This first launch under our latest rideshare agreement with the launch provider marks an important moment in the current space renaissance. Over the last 10 years, rocket launches have dropped in price and increased in frequency while satellites have dramatically decreased in size, allowing for greater numbers of satellites to be launched on each rocket.

The unprecedented amount of Earth imaging data our entire fleet collects enables global analytics of planetary activity and resources. With Flock 4x, our data products will continue to provide high-cadence Earth insights for governments, NGOs, and companies working in sustainability, disaster relief, financial management, and security.

Source : Planet