Planet SkySat

Planet SkySat is a commercial high-resolution optical imaging constellation operated by Planet Labs, with the first satellite launched on 21 November 2013.^[1] The current service is built around a group of morning and afternoon sun-synchronous satellites at approximately 475 km altitude; first-generation SkySat-1 operated at approximately 575 km.^[2][1] Planet documentation describes 15 satellites in current commercial service, while earlier USGS characterisation work was conducted against a 21-satellite configuration.^[3][2] The SkySat camera delivers 50 cm orthorectified panchromatic and four-band multispectral imagery, a 5.73 km swath, tasking support, and a roughly 2.4-hour revisit interval over target areas. A 12-year archive is available.^[2][3] Applications include rapid land-surface change detection, infrastructure monitoring, economic activity assessment, disaster response, and high-cadence site monitoring.