Planet Labs signs agreement to support NATO's space surveillance program

Planet Labs signs agreement to support NATO's space surveillance program
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 20, 2024

Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL), a prominent provider of daily Earth data and insights, has secured a contract with the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) to support the Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space (APSS) program. The agreement will leverage Planet's SkySat high-resolution satellite imagery to aid NATO operations.

Planet's tasking capabilities are set to enhance NATO's decision-making processes by delivering critical imagery. This data will be instrumental for detailed tracking and analysis of foreign military capabilities, monitoring of military infrastructure, detecting movements, and assessing threats. Additionally, it will help fill intelligence gaps and contribute to an unclassified common operating picture shared among NATO allies.

"In a time of heightened global conflict, this ability to supply NATO is more critical than ever to reinforce multinational alliances and advance peace around the world through transparency and accountability from space," stated Will Marshall, co-founder and CEO of Planet. "We look forward to working with the APSS team as it continues to adopt new space technology to advance global security."

Established in February 2023, the APSS initiative is a long-term, multinational effort aimed at using space-based assets to collect data from any location at any time. The program seeks to enhance space-based intelligence sharing, improve NATO's intelligence capabilities, and increase the efficiency and speed at which space-derived data is gathered, processed, and delivered. The APSS initiative also focuses on how NATO can better utilize emerging technologies, including cloud solutions and AI analytical tools, to manage the growing volume of space data.

"Space is critical for NATO, from supporting the navigation and tracking of forces, detecting missile launches, maintaining situational awareness, to ensuring effective command and control," commented Laryssa Patten, Head of Space Technology Adoption and Resilience at NCIA. "Planet's sub-daily tasking brings new capabilities which enable monitoring of large areas of NATO interest, bolstering our technological advantage, and fulfilling our mission of preserving peace and security for nearly one billion people."

This contract underscores Planet's ongoing expansion in the government sector, following recent agreements with a U.S.-allied International Government Agency and a pilot contract with an International Ministry of Defense.