Planet Labs: Why We Invested in the "Planetary Operating System"

Planet Labs transformed Earth observation by replacing expensive, static satellite snapshots with a continuous, high-frequency "planetary operating system." By leveraging smartphone-grade sensors and an "Agile Aerospace" philosophy, the company shifted the industry focus from building singular, perfect machines to deploying massive constellations of low-cost satellites. This approach enables daily global scans and the tracking of critical planetary variables like soil moisture and methane leaks. Recent milestones include major sovereign contracts with Germany and Sweden, alongside the integration of orbital AI through collaborations like Google’s Project Suncatcher. These advancements move data processing into space, allowing satellites to autonomously detect wildfires or vessel deviations in real time. Ultimately, the transition from hardware revolution to an intelligent orbital cloud provides the essential spatial reasoning required for the next generation of autonomous vehicles, drone fleets, and global infrastructure.