Our first launch of 2019 is here! 20 next-generation Dove satellites – Flock 4a – are scheduled to launch on ISRO’s PSLV-C45 rocket on April 1, 2019 IST (March 31 Pacific). All 20 Dove-series satellites will ride as secondary payloads and will be sent to a Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) with a mid-morning crossing time.

Flock 4a will join our current constellation of 100+ Doves, replenishing our on-orbit fleet and furthering our daily global monitoring mission. However, these Dove satellites aren’t solely for replenishment. They’re equipped with the latest technology – upgrades to our imaging chain to improve image sharpness, radiometric consistency, and spectral precision – and push the boundaries of what our on-orbit Doves are capable of.

This marks our first launch of 2019, and our 22nd launch of Dove satellites since our founding. As always, our manufacturing team did a stellar job getting all 20 satellites built and delivered on time, flexing the muscle of our state-of-the-art manufacturing lab to ensure we never miss a delivery date.

Planeteers wish Flock 4a farewell from our HQ in San Francisco!

We’re looking forward to launching with Antrix/ISRO for the 5th time (including our record-breaking launch of 88 Doves). Follow along @planetlabs for updates as the launch window nears!