The Evolution of Planetscope Data and the Application of Planetary Variables

As part of Planet’s ethos of ‘agile aerospace’, we continually invest in the latest hardware and software advancements to improve the PlanetScope image quality. This dataset began life as a relatively simple 3-band image using commercial, ‘off-the-shelf’ hardware components. Through customer feedback, both software and hardware improvements were tested and launched, resulting in a second-generation of PlanetScope, or ‘Dove’ satellites. Replacing this second generation of satellites involved an entirely new imaging sensor and lens filters, enabling Planet to now deliver 8-spectral bands with the introduction of 3rd-generation satellites AKA ‘Superdoves’. Most recently, we have pursued a number of enhancements to ensure the clarity, consistency, and reliability of PlanetScope imagery, particularly for customers who are doing time series analysis. The first part of this demo will take a look at these improvements across PlanetScope generations and demonstrate the value of these incremental improvements to the customer.

Beyond pure data, Planet looks to move up the data stack from pixels to insights. Planetary Variables are a key part of this, and measure key phenomena on the Earth’s surface, enabled by a virtual constellation of Planet and public sensors. Planetary Variables include Soil Water Content, Land Surface Temperature and Crop Biomass, with more on the way. The second part of this demo will introduce the audience to Planetary Variables, how they can be interpreted and consumed, and how they provide value across different use-cases.