Planet launches its first Pelican demonstrator satellite

Planet Labs/Pelican

Planet launched Pelican-1, the first technology demonstrator for its next-generation high-resolution Pelican imaging satellites, on SpaceX's Transporter-9 rideshare mission on November 11, 2023. The R&D satellite will collect on-orbit data for integration into future Pelican and Tanager designs.

• Launched 11 November 2023 on Transporter-9 from Vandenberg alongside 36 SuperDoves (Flock 4Q); mission contact and commissioning initiated.
• Pelican-1 is a tech demonstrator not for commercial use; will gather on-orbit learnings for next-generation high-resolution constellation.
• Pelican upgrade expected to offer more capable and cost-effective imaging compared to Planet's current SkySat fleet.