Pleiades-1A

Pleiades-1A (Pleiades-HR 1A) is a French very-high-resolution optical imaging satellite operated by CNES, launched on 17 December 2011 into a sun-synchronous orbit at 694 km with a 10:15 descending local solar time.^[1][2] The satellite carries the Pleiades HiRI imager, which delivers 0.5 m panchromatic and 2 m multispectral products across a 20 km swath.^[3] Operating in a two-satellite constellation with Pleiades-1B, the pair achieves a one-day revisit interval for tasked targets; the single-satellite orbital repeat is 26 days. Tasking is supported with a 14-year archive available as of 2026.^[1][4] CNES holds the mission operator role; Airbus Defence and Space assumed commercial distribution responsibilities approximately six months after launch.^[5] Applications include global very-high-resolution mapping, civil and defence imaging, disaster response, and urban and infrastructure monitoring. CNES and WMO OSCAR record planned decommissioning around end of 2028.^[1][2]