Planet Partners with European Space Agency to Contribute to Copernicus Mission
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2025
Planet Labs Germany GmbH, a prominent provider of daily Earth observation data and insights, has announced a new multi-year contract with the European Space Agency (ESA). This agreement sees Planet officially joining the Copernicus Contributing Missions, offering its commercial satellite data alongside ESA’s Sentinel satellites for enhanced geospatial analysis.
As part of the deal, Planet will provide near-daily imagery from its PlanetScope satellites and high-resolution data from SkySat. These data sets will complement ESA’s existing satellite resources, helping meet the diverse needs of geospatial analysts. The collaboration underscores ESA’s commitment to expanding its data portfolio by integrating emerging commercial satellite data from new space companies.
“We have a long history of working with ESA, and we’re honored to continue to support the Copernicus Program as a Contributing Mission with our PlanetScope and SkySat constellations,” said Massimiliano Vitale, Senior Vice President of Tasking Products at Planet. “Europe has demonstrated global leadership in Earth observation innovation, and we’re thrilled to see their continued investment in commercial space companies from the region.”
Before signing this new contract, Planet had collaborated with ESA for over a decade, contributing to both the Copernicus program and the ESA Third Party Mission program. This collaboration has supported novel scientific research and the development of new commercial services through ESA’s Earthnet Programme. These efforts allowed researchers and companies across ESA member states to access Planet’s data, including PlanetScope, SkySat, and RapidEye imagery, which has been crucial for projects like land use monitoring and climate change research.
In other news, Planet Labs also recently secured a major $230 million multi-year partnership extension with an undisclosed Asian-Pacific partner. This agreement aims to build new Pelican high-resolution satellites and further expand Planet’s satellite services in the region. Planet’s CEO, Will Marshall, called the deal a significant milestone, emphasizing the growth potential for satellite services.
“This agreement represents a significant milestone for Planet. It is our largest contract to date, and is a major step forward in what we see as a very large market opportunity for satellite services,” Marshall said.
Planet expects the expanded partnership to significantly contribute to its financial performance in FY ’26, strengthening its balance sheet for FY ’27 and beyond. The satellites are scheduled for construction over the next two years, with operational support planned for five years. Planet will launch as many as 32 advanced Pelican satellites, following the debut of the Pelican-2 satellite earlier this month.
Planet’s Chief Space Officer, James Mason, added, “Our trusted partners have long expressed interest in our proprietary space systems technology and we’re proud to be able to fulfill their needs with our satellites and services.”
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