Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL) revealed that PlanetScope and SkySat data have been added to the European Space Agency's (ESA) Third Party Missions portfolio. It allows ESA to use Planet data for scientific, research, and pre-operational Earth Observation application development. European researchers, scientists, and businesses can gain access to Planet's high-frequency, high-resolution satellite data for non-commercial use through distribution under the ESA Earthnet Programme.
Planet's collaboration with affiliates through the ESA Earthnet Programme provided important data to support the pioneering work of the programme. Following the completion of their project, researchers and scientists are obliged to report their work and results to the programme. The program's goal is to unlock a new set of uses and applications for Earth observation data to tackle climate change and develop new capabilities in a variety of industries.
Planets’ said that partnering with ESA as part of the Earthnet Programme is the next step for Planet in its mission to image the entire landmass every day, making global change visible, accessible, and actionable. It must provide transparent resources and knowledge to the research community for the benefit of all citizens.
The ESA Earthnet Programme, which began in 1976, is a "Network for the Earth" to establish an Earth Observation science community to acquire and share knowledge about its planet. Planet joins over 50 other missions owned by commercial or public organizations in this programme to add near-daily PlanetScope imagery, 50 cm SkySat imagery, and RapidEye archive data to this global network.