Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL), a leading provider of daily Earth imagery and geospatial insights, has successfully launched its AI-enabled Pelican-5 and Pelican-6 satellites, along with 36 SuperDoves, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-15 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The company has confirmed contact with Pelican-5 and Pelican-6 and has begun the commissioning process.
The newly deployed Pelican satellites augment Planet’s next-generation tasking fleet, joining Pelicans 1 through 4. Designed to capture 40 cm-class resolution imagery across six multispectral bands, Pelican-5 and Pelican-6 are optimized for cross-sensor analysis and will support Planet’s ongoing delivery of 50 cm resolution products. The satellites integrate NVIDIA’s Jetson AI platform for onboard edge computing, enabling faster generation of actionable insights directly for customers.
Alongside the Pelicans, the 36 SuperDoves of Flock 4H join Planet’s broader monitoring fleet, strengthening the company’s flagship PlanetScope daily global imaging mission. The additions enhance Planet’s capacity to track environmental and infrastructure changes worldwide, delivering high-frequency imagery to governments, businesses, and research organizations.
Planet said it plans to launch additional Pelican satellites and SuperDoves next year, with future Pelicans designed to reach 30 cm-class resolution by 2026. The expanded fleet reflects Planet’s ongoing commitment to building the world’s largest Earth-observation constellation and accelerating access to actionable geospatial intelligence.
Founded in 2010 by three NASA scientists, Planet has grown into a major player in global satellite imagery, operating the largest fleet of Earth-observation satellites. The company’s mission remains to image the world daily and make change visible, accessible, and actionable.
