Update: launch has been pushed back due to solar weather!
Today this rocket will launch Planet Labs’ new imagery satellites to space:
They sent up a couple test satellites in the summer, but this will be a whole flock, as they call it — 28 satellites, more than doubling the number of commercial cameras in space. They can launch so many at once because unlike traditional satellites, which are the size of fridges, each of Planet Labs’ “doves” is the size of a shoebox:
Planet Labs Flock 1: they’re all going to space today.
These nimble little satellites represent a new generation of imaging hardware that’s all about getting more data faster. The whole industry is moving in interesting directions, and Planet Labs is out on the forefront. We wish all our friends there the best of luck with this launch, and expect great things for years to come.
NASA TV Wallops will carry the launch live, starting with interesting background material in the morning.