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SkySat 3, ..., 21 (SkySat C1, ..., 19)

SkySat C1 [Skybox Imaging]

SkySat-3 to 21 (SkySat C1 to C19) are commercial Earth observation satellites by Skybox Imaging, licensed to collect high resolution panchromatic and multispectral images of the earth. The satellites operate in a polar inclined, circular orbit at approximately 450 km above the earth.

Skybox becomes only the fifth organization licensed to provide high resolution space-based imagery of Earth.

The first two prototype satellites were built by Skybox Imaging in house. The first satellite was launched in 2013 on a cluster launch on a Dnepr rocket. The second identical satellite was launched as a secondary payload on a Soyuz-2-1b Fregat launch in 2014.

Each SkySat satellite is equipped with a Ritchey-Chretien Cassegrain telescope with a focal length of 3.6 m, and a focal plane consisting of three 5.5 Mpixel CMOS imaging detectors. SkySat-1 and -2 use 3 CMOS frame detectors with a size of 2560 × 2160 pixels and a pixel size of 6.5 µm. The operational satellites have a higher resolution detector. The upper half of the detector is used for panchromatic capture, the lower half is divided into 4 stripes covered with blue, green, red and near infra-red color filters. The native resolution at nadir of the SkySat-1 and SkySat C is around 1.1 m. Further satellites will be placed in lower orbits, leading to increased image resolution.

Thirteen more operational satellites are being built by SS/Loral using a Skybox-licensed design, featuring a modular propuslion system. ECAPS will provide the complete High Performance Green Propulsion (HPGP) systems. Additionally, these will feture better reaction wheels for more agility. This series is about 15 cm taller and 30 kg heavier than the first two prototypes.

One of these satellites will launch in mid 2015 on an Indian PSLV-XL rocket. For more will be launched in mid 2016 on an Arianespace Vega launch vehicle. Six more will be launched on an Orbital designed Minotaur-C-XL-3210 rocket in early 2017. The final two of this batch are to be launched on Spaceflight Industry's SSO-A multi-satellite launch on a Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) rocket.

Another batch of six was be ordered in January 2016. For later launches, Skybox reportedly has an agreement with Virgin Galactic to use the LauncherOne rocket. Three of these satellites will be launched as secondary payloads on a Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) in June 2020, and three more later in 2020 also on a Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5).

Google announced in March 2016 that Skybox Imaging had changed its name to Terra Bella. In 20xx Terra Bella was sold to PLanet Labs.

In 2022 Planet Labs anounced the Pelican constellation which will be the successor to SkySat.

Nation: USA
Type / Application: Earth Observation
Operator: Skybox Imaging → Terra Bella → Planet Labs
Contractors: SS/Loral
Equipment:
Configuration: SSTL-50
Propulsion: ? × 1 N HPGP thrusters
Power: Solar cells, batteries
Lifetime: 6 years
Mass: ~120 kg
Orbit: 500 km SSO
Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
SkySat 3 (SkySat C1) 2016-040C 22.06.2016 Sr SLP PSLV-XL with Cartosat 2C, BIROS, M3MSat, LAPAN A3, GHGSat D, Flock-2p 1, ..., 12, SathyabamaSat, Swayam, BeeSat 4
SkySat 4 (SkySat C2) 2016-058D 16.09.2016 Ko ELV Vega with PerúSat 1, SkySat 5, SkySat 6, SkySat 7
SkySat 5 (SkySat C3) 2016-058E 16.09.2016 Ko ELV Vega with PerúSat 1, SkySat 4, SkySat 6, SkySat 7
SkySat 6 (SkySat C4) 2016-058B 16.09.2016 Ko ELV Vega with PerúSat 1, SkySat 4, SkySat 5, SkySat 7
SkySat 7 (SkySat C5) 2016-058C 16.09.2016 Ko ELV Vega with PerúSat 1, SkySat 4, SkySat 5, SkySat 6
SkySat 8 (SkySat C6) 2017-068F 31.10.2017 Va 576E Minotaur-C-XL-3210 with SkySat 9, SkySat 10, SkySat 11, SkySat 12, SkySat 13, Flock-3m 1, ..., 4
SkySat 9 (SkySat C7) 2017-068E 31.10.2017 Va 576E Minotaur-C-XL-3210 with SkySat 8, SkySat 10, SkySat 11, SkySat 12, SkySat 13, Flock-3m 1, ..., 4
SkySat 10 (SkySat C8) 2017-068D 31.10.2017 Va 576E Minotaur-C-XL-3210 with SkySat 8, SkySat 9, SkySat 11, SkySat 12, SkySat 13, Flock-3m 1, ..., 4
SkySat 11 (SkySat C9) 2017-068C 31.10.2017 Va 576E Minotaur-C-XL-3210 with SkySat 8, SkySat 9, SkySat 10, SkySat 12, SkySat 13, Flock-3m 1, ..., 4
SkySat 12 (SkySat C10) 2017-068B 31.10.2017 Va 576E Minotaur-C-XL-3210 with SkySat 8, SkySat 9, SkySat 10, SkySat 11, SkySat 13, Flock-3m 1, ..., 4
SkySat 13 (SkySat C11) 2017-068A 31.10.2017 Va 576E Minotaur-C-XL-3210 with SkySat 8, SkySat 9, SkySat 10, SkySat 11, SkySat 12, Flock-3m 1, ..., 4
SkySat 14 (SkySat C12) 2018-099AR 03.12.2018 Va SLC-4E Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) with SkySat 15, Eu:CROPIS, STPSat 5, FalconSat 6, NEXTSat 1, KazSTSAT, eXCITe, SeeMe, ICEYE X2, BlackSky 2, ESEO, Hawk A, B, C, Capella 1, AISTECHSAT 2, CSIM-FD, Hiber 2, ITASAT 1, Landmapper-BC 4, ORS 7A, 7B, Al-Farabi 2, Astrocast 0.1, Audacy 0, BRIO, Centauri 1, Eaglet 1, Enoch, Flock-3s 1, 2, 3, K2SAT, KazSciSat 1, MinXSS 2, Orbital Reflector, RAAF M1, SeaHawk 1, SNUSAT 2, THEA, VESTA, PW-Sat 2, SNUGLITE, VisionCube, RANGE A, B, Elysium-Star 2, ExseedSat 1, Fox 1C, Irvine 02, JY1-Sat, KNACKSAT, MOVE 2, SpaceBEE 5, 6, 7, Suomi-100, WeissSat 1, Sirion Pathfinder 2, OrbWeaver 1, 2, SPAWAR-CAL O, OR, R
SkySat 15 (SkySat C13) 2018-099AW 03.12.2018 Va SLC-4E Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) with SkySat 14, Eu:CROPIS, STPSat 5, FalconSat 6, NEXTSat 1, KazSTSAT, eXCITe, SeeMe, ICEYE X2, BlackSky 2, ESEO, Hawk A, B, C, Capella 1, AISTECHSAT 2, CSIM-FD, Hiber 2, ITASAT 1, Landmapper-BC 4, ORS 7A, 7B, Al-Farabi 2, Astrocast 0.1, Audacy 0, BRIO, Centauri 1, Eaglet 1, Enoch, Flock-3s 1, 2, 3, K2SAT, KazSciSat 1, MinXSS 2, Orbital Reflector, RAAF M1, SeaHawk 1, SNUSAT 2, THEA, VESTA, PW-Sat 2, SNUGLITE, VisionCube, RANGE A, B, Elysium-Star 2, ExseedSat 1, Fox 1C, Irvine 02, JY1-Sat, KNACKSAT, MOVE 2, SpaceBEE 5, 6, 7, Suomi-100, WeissSat 1, Sirion Pathfinder 2, OrbWeaver 1, 2, SPAWAR-CAL O, OR, R
SkySat 16 (SkySat C14) 2020-038BL 13.06.2020 CC SLC-40 Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) with Starlink v1.0 L8-1, ..., L8-58, SkySat 17, SkySat 18
SkySat 17 (SkySat C15) 2020-038BM 13.06.2020 CC SLC-40 Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) with Starlink v1.0 L8-1, ..., L8-58, SkySat 16, SkySat 18
SkySat 18 (SkySat C16) 2020-038BN 13.06.2020 CC SLC-40 Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) with Starlink v1.0 L8-1, ..., L8-58, SkySat 16, SkySat 17
SkySat 19 (SkySat C17) 2020-057BQ 18.08.2020 CC SLC-40 Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) with Starlink v1.0 L10-1, ..., L10-58, SkySat 20, SkySat 21
SkySat 20 (SkySat C18) 2020-057BR 18.08.2020 CC SLC-40 Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) with Starlink v1.0 L10-1, ..., L10-58, SkySat 19, SkySat 21
SkySat 21 (SkySat C19) 2020-057BS 18.08.2020 CC SLC-40 Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) with Starlink v1.0 L10-1, ..., L10-58, SkySat 19, SkySat 20
SkySat 22 (SkySat C20) - Option with ?
SkySat 23 (SkySat C21) - Option with ?
SkySat 24 (SkySat C22) - Option with ?
SkySat 25 (SkySat C23) - Option with ?
SkySat 26 (SkySat C24) - Option with ?
SkySat 27 (SkySat C25) - Option with ?

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