July 30, 2018 – In an exciting new venture, Planet, an integrated aerospace and data analytics company, and New Zealand’s Centre for Space Science Technology(CSST) announce today a partnership to help drive regional economic growth by distributing Planet’s daily, global Earth observation data and analytics.

CSST will act as the distribution hub and R&D partner for Planet in New Zealand, making sure a breadth of industries and government agencies get efficient access to Planet’s data and analytic products. Together, Planet and CSST will localise analytics from Planet and jointly develop new solutions to serve specific verticals, including agriculture, disaster management, defence and intelligence, forestry, and maritime.

Signs of water pooling on glaciers in Tibet (left) preceded a pair of avalanches (right). ©Planet Labs, Inc.

“CSST is an important partner for Planet as they understand the applications and use cases of daily global imagery, and can enable us to bring our products to New Zealand. They will be the frontline consultants for commercial businesses and government agencies at all levels who seek our imagery and analytics,” said Shankar Sivaprakasam, Vice President of APAC and Japan, at Planet.

Planet’s global daily imagery and analytics will improve decision-making in key sectors of the New Zealand economy, including disaster preparedness and emergency management, agricultural monitoring, forestry and land use monitoring, water management, infrastructure monitoring, and intelligence gathering.

“Earth observation data is becoming increasingly important in helping New Zealand address its biggest economic, environmental, and social challenges. The biggest advantage of Planet’s constellation is how frequently its satellites pass overhead, which is extremely important in the New Zealand context, particularly with disaster monitoring. For example, Planet imagery revealed close to 80,000 landslides in the wake of the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. Real-time disaster monitoring with Planet data will transform how governments and businesses target preparedness and relief efforts,” said Steve Cotter, CEO of CSST.

The partnership will be inaugurated at a roadshow in Wellington on Monday, 6 August 2018, where attendants will get an up-close look at the products and ask questions directly. For more information and to register, visit the Eventbrite page.

About Planet

Planet is an integrated aerospace and data analytics company that operates history’s largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites, collecting a massive amount of information daily about our planet. Planet designs, builds and operates over 200 satellites, and develops the online software and tools that serves data to users. To learn more, visit http://www.planet.com.

About CSST

The Centre for Space Science Technology (CSST) mission is to enable thriving regional industries across New Zealand to gain and/or maintain an internationally competitive advantage by making smarter decisions using state-of-the-art products and services that capitalise on the availability of space-based data. To find out more, visit https://www.csst.co.nz/