# Planet SkySat
*missions*

## Specifications
- **operator**: planet-labs
- **actual launch**: 2013-11-21
- **current status**: operational
- **orbit type**: Operational SkySat constellation includes morning and afternoon sun-synchronous satellites at about 475 km; first SkySat-1 operated at about 575 km
- **swath km**: 5.73
- **revisit days**: 0.1
- **tasking supported**: true
- **archive depth years**: 12
- **current geographic priority**: Global high-resolution commercial tasking and archive imagery for rapid land-surface change, infrastructure, disaster response, and economic-activity monitoring.
- **launch vehicle**: spacex-falcon-9
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-14
- **verified by**: operator
- **claim status**: unclaimed
- **provider**: planet-labs
- **attributes**: {"operator":"planet-labs","actual_launch":"2013-11-21","current_status":"operational","orbit_type":"Operational SkySat constellation includes morning and afternoon sun-synchronous satellites at about 475 km; first SkySat-1 operated at about 575 km","swath_km":5.73,"revisit_days":0.1,"tasking_supported":true,"archive_depth_years":12,"current_geographic_priority":"Global high-resolution commercial tasking and archive imagery for rapid land-surface change, infrastructure, disaster response, and economic-activity monitoring.","launch_vehicle":"spacex-falcon-9"}

## Editorial
Planet SkySat is a commercial high-resolution optical imaging constellation operated by Planet Labs, with the first satellite launched on 21 November 2013.[^ceos-skysat1] 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.[^planet-skysat-docs][^ceos-skysat1] Planet documentation describes 15 satellites in current commercial service, while earlier USGS characterisation work was conducted against a 21-satellite configuration.[^usgs-skysat-characterization][^planet-skysat-docs] 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.[^planet-skysat-docs][^usgs-skysat-characterization] Applications include rapid land-surface change detection, infrastructure monitoring, economic activity assessment, disaster response, and high-cadence site monitoring.

## Compositional position
- Planet SkySat --[mission_payloads]--> skysat-camera (products)
- Planet SkySat --[related-topic]--> urban-change (topics)
- Planet SkySat --[related-topic]--> economic-activity (topics)
- Planet SkySat --[related-topic]--> transport-infrastructure (topics)
- Planet SkySat --[related-topic]--> disaster-damage-assessment (topics)
- Planet SkySat --[related-topic]--> land-cover-change (topics)

## Sources
- [planet-skysat-docs] | Planet Documentation, SkySat imagery | https://docs.planet.com/data/imagery/skysat/ | tier=operator-datasheet | accessed=2026-06-14
- [usgs-skysat-characterization] | USGS System Characterization Report on Planet SkySat | https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2021/1030/e/ofr20211030e.pdf | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [ceos-skysat1] | CEOS Database, SkySat-1 satellite mission summary | https://database.eohandbook.com/database/missionsummary.aspx?missionID=997 | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-14

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/planet-skysat
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)