Planet Labs - Company Description
Comprehensive overview of Planet Labs's mission, vision, and role in the space industry.
Planet Labs: Democratizing Space to Drive Global Change
At Planet Labs, we believe that timely, accessible data about our changing planet is the key to solving humanity’s greatest challenges—from climate change to food security. Our mission is to image the entire Earth every day and make global change visible, accessible, and actionable. By operating the largest constellation of Earth-observation satellites, we provide unparalleled insights that empower governments, businesses, and researchers to make data-driven decisions. Our goal? To reduce the time between Earth observation and actionable insight from months to hours, ensuring no critical change goes unnoticed.
By the Numbers: A Data-Driven Revolution
Founded in 2010 by a team of ex-NASA scientists, Planet Labs has grown into a global leader in satellite imagery and geospatial analytics, with:
- 1,000+ employees across offices in San Francisco, Berlin, and Washington, D.C.
- 200+ satellites in orbit, capturing 350 million km² of Earth’s surface daily—more than any other commercial provider.
- 10+ petabytes of Earth imagery data processed annually, powering applications in agriculture, forestry, disaster response, and defense.
- $500M+ in funding from visionary investors, fueling rapid innovation in satellite miniaturization, AI-driven analytics, and real-time monitoring.
Recent Breakthroughs: Pushing the Boundaries of Space Tech
Planet Labs doesn’t just observe Earth—we redefine what’s possible in satellite technology and aerospace engineering. Recent milestones include:
- Pelican Constellation (2023): Our next-gen high-resolution, high-revisit-rate satellites deliver 30cm imagery with daily revisits, setting a new standard for commercial Earth observation.
- AI-Powered Change Detection: Leveraging machine learning and orbital mechanics, our algorithms now detect deforestation, urban expansion, and natural disasters in near real-time, reducing response times by up to 70%.
- Carbon Mapper Partnership (2024): A groundbreaking collaboration to track methane and CO₂ emissions at scale, providing critical data for climate policy and corporate sustainability.
Why Planet Labs Stands Apart
In a space industry dominated by either high-cost, low-frequency imaging (traditional satellites) or niche, delayed insights (competitor constellations), Planet Labs offers:
✅ Unmatched Data Frequency & Scale – Daily, global coverage at multiple resolutions, from 3m to 30cm.
✅ Agile Aerospace Engineering – Rapid iteration cycles, with new satellite deployments every 6-12 months, compared to the industry’s 3-5 year norms.
✅ End-to-End Space Systems Expertise – Vertical integration across spacecraft design, propulsion systems, mission operations, and AI analytics.
✅ Impact-Driven Commercial Model – Unlike defense-focused competitors, we prioritize civilian, environmental, and humanitarian applications, making our work meaningful for engineers who want to see tangible global impact.
The Challenges We’re Solving—And Where You Come In
The space industry is at an inflection point, and Planet Labs is tackling its biggest hurdles head-on:
🔹 Scaling Satellite Constellations Sustainably – How do we double our fleet efficiency while reducing space debris? (Hint: Our propulsion systems team is pioneering green propellants and deorbiting tech.)
🔹 AI & Orbital Mechanics Fusion – Can we automate satellite tasking to respond to disasters before they’re reported? (Our mission operations and software teams are making it happen.)
🔹 Democratizing Space Data – How do we process petabytes of imagery into actionable insights for non-experts? (Our data science and UX engineers are building the next-gen platforms.)
Join the Mission
Planet Labs isn’t just a company—it’s a movement to make space work for Earth. Whether you’re a rocket engineer optimizing propulsion systems, a software developer automating mission operations, or a data scientist unlocking climate insights, your work here will shape the future of our planet.
Ready to launch your career with impact? Explore roles in spacecraft design, satellite operations, AI analytics, and beyond—where every line of code, every orbital calculation, and every innovation brings us closer to a more sustainable, transparent, and resilient world.
🚀 Your mission starts here. www.planet.com/careers
