Key facts
- Pelican-12 is designed to capture 30-centimeter-class imagery, an improvement over the 50-centimeter capabilities of first-generation Pelican satellites.
- Pelican-12 was delivered to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in late September 2026 for transit and integration processing before launch.
- Pelican-12 leverages learnings from Pelican-11, which launched in July 2026, to refine payload and communication systems for future deployments.
Planet Labs PBC launched its Pelican-12 satellite aboard SpaceX‘s Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Oct. 20, 2026. SpaceX’s Bandwagon-5 mission carried the satellite into orbit. The launch was part of a broader 2026 deployment strategy, marking the company’s 25th satellite launch of the year across four missions. Ground controllers established initial contact and began orbital commissioning immediately after deployment.
The company’s Earth observation satellites provide high-resolution imagery and data for commercial, defense, and civil applications. The Pelican series represents a next-generation platform, incorporating higher-resolution imaging and advanced onboard computing compared to earlier models. Space-to-space data relay systems, such as the experimental package on Pelican-12, aim to reduce latency by transmitting data directly between satellites. NVIDIA Jetson modules enable onboard AI processing, reducing reliance on ground stations.
Pelican-12 is the fifth next-generation Pelican spacecraft launched in 2026, following Pelican-11, which launched in July 2026 and served as an engineering pathfinder. Planet Labs PBC said, “Pelican-12 leverages key learnings from Pelican-11, which launched in July.” The company added that these learnings will help refine payload and communication systems for future deployments. The rapid iteration between Pelican-11 and Pelican-12 demonstrates Planet Labs’ agile engineering approach to satellite development.
Pelican-12 was delivered to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in late September 2026 for transit and integration processing. It underwent final preparations at the launch site before deployment.
The satellite incorporates NVIDIA Jetson modules for space edge computing, enabling autonomous AI inferencing to detect ground objects and extract structured metadata before downlinking data. This capability was first demonstrated on Pelican-4 and aims to reduce latency by processing data onboard rather than relying on ground stations. The technology improves real-time insights for Earth observation.
Pelican-12 captures 30-centimeter-class imagery, an improvement over the 50-centimeter capabilities of first-generation Pelican satellites. This enhanced resolution supports applications like agricultural monitoring, infrastructure management, and natural disaster response. The higher-fidelity Earth observation data will support commercial, defense, and civil applications.
Pelican-12 carries an experimental communication package to validate space-to-space data relay via SES’s O3b mPOWER constellation, reducing latency for defense and civil operators. The relay system aims to transmit imagery directly to end-users, bypassing traditional ground-based bottlenecks. The satellite also includes a steerable antenna to enable two-way intersatellite communications at higher data rates than the 1 Mbps demonstrated in a 2025 test. This upgrade is intended to minimize latency in data delivery to customers.
Pelican-12 is undergoing orbital commissioning, including maneuvers to lower it into its target mid-inclination operating orbit. Mission controllers are validating the spacecraft’s systems and preparing it for sensor calibration and crosslink testing. The commissioning process will validate the spacecraft’s systems for operational use in Earth observation and data relay applications.
Planet Labs plans to initiate full-scale Pelican serial assembly at its expanded Berlin, Germany facility later in 2026. The expansion supports recurring constellation launches in 2027. The manufacturing expansion aligns with the company’s strategy to accelerate constellation replenishment and integrate new technologies across its satellite fleet.
The mission demonstrates the integration of AI directly into Earth observation satellites, reducing reliance on ground stations. The experimental relay package enables faster data delivery for defense and civil operators. Planet Labs intends to apply the lessons learned to its future constellation deployments.
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