This article was taken from the January 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
A fleet of 28 Earth-imaging satellites will, in early 2014, begin capturing one picture every second as they orbit our planet.
The satellites, called Doves, are being assembled in the San Francisco offices of space startup Planet Labs. Each 34 x 10 x 10cm, 6kg satellite is small enough to be sent as secondary payloads on commercial spaceflights. "We don't have to buy a rocket that throws 2,000kg into space," says Planet Labs cofounder Robbie Schingler.
Dove-1 was launched on 21 April, 2013, onboard the maiden flight of Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket, from Nasa's Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia. In the six days that Dove-1 orbited, it sent back 160 images. Dove-2 is still orbiting at around 575km and has become part of the constellation of satellites that, it is hoped, will provide unrivalled global coverage. The terabytes of data sent back could be used in studies ranging from changing animal migratory patterns to reports on deforestation. "We are going to focus on developing a data platform to allow people to turn the information into actionable insight," says Schingler. "The best way to do this is to provide indisputable data. We want to democratise access to information about the changing planet."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
