US firm Planet to launch 4 satellites on board with India's PSLV-C40

The primary payload for this mission is ISRO's Cartosat-2 Series satellite, and Planet's four satellites will ride as secondary payloads

Planet Labs Inc, a US-based integrated aerospace and data analytics company, today said four of its Dove satellites will be launched aboard India's PSLV-C40 mission, scheduled to fly in January next year.

The primary payload for this mission is Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Cartosat-2 Series satellite, and Planet's four satellites will ride as secondary payloads.

In February this year, Planet's 88 Dove satellites travelled on the PSLV-C37 as part of ISRO's record-breaking launch of 104 satellites.

The four Dove satellites on the upcoming launch are tech demos responsible for testing improvements to several of the satellite subsystems, including camera technology, thermal control, and altitude determination & control system, Planet said in a statement.

The company, founded in 2010, said it launches tech demo satellites several times a year to ensure they are using the latest and most advanced technology. These advancements are then incorporated into the future operational fleet.

The company operates a fleet of earth-imaging satellites, collecting a massive amount of information about the planet.

"We've been very pleased with our working relationship with Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), the commercial arm of ISRO. When Planet proposed to send a record-breaking 88 satellites to orbit on a single launch, they accepted the challenge without hesitation, and they delivered," said Karthik Govindhasamy, chief technology officer and executive vice president of engineering at Planet.

"We have a rich history with Planet and we are proud to be a reliable launch partner that they can count on for consistent and timely launches," Rakesh S, chairman and managing director, Antrix, was quoted as saying in the statement.

"The Planet's appetite for launch capacity is impressive and we're excited that the PSLV continues to meet their needs," he said.