Planet Dove (constellation)

Planet operates approximately 200 Dove satellites in orbit at any given time, though the exact number fluctuates as new satellites are launched and older ones are decommissioned. The constellation is designed to maintain continuous global coverage through regular replenishment launches. Planet has launched over 400 Dove satellites since 2013, with each satellite typically operating for 2-3 years before replacement.

Each Planet Dove satellite provides imagery at approximately 3 to 5 meters per pixel resolution in visible and near-infrared bands. The constellation can image the entire Earth's landmass daily, a capability unmatched by any other commercial satellite system. The small CubeSat design allows frequent launches and rapid technology upgrades.

Planet Labs, headquartered in San Francisco, operates the Dove constellation as part of its broader Earth observation business. Founded in 2010 by former NASA scientists, Planet sells imagery and analytics to governments, agricultural companies, defense organizations, and researchers. The company also operates SkySat high-resolution satellites alongside the Dove constellation.

Planet achieves daily global coverage by operating a large number of Dove CubeSats in low Earth orbit sun-synchronous and International Space Station (ISS) orbits at approximately 400-600 km altitude. Each Dove satellite images a swath of approximately 10-15 km width, and the constellation collectively covers all landmass daily through overlapping coverage. Satellites downlink imagery to a network of ground stations worldwide for rapid processing and distribution.