Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL) shipped three Pelican satellites to Vandenberg Space Force Base in California for launch on an upcoming SpaceX CAS500/2 rideshare mission, according to a company statement.

The first-generation Pelican satellites are designed to capture 50-centimeter resolution imagery across six multispectral bands. Each spacecraft includes NVIDIA's Jetson AI platform for onboard data processing, which the company states will reduce latency for delivering situational awareness to customers.

"Kicking off our first Pelican launch of 2026 demonstrates the pace at which we're scaling our most advanced constellation to date, with higher resolution, faster repeat rates, and lower latency," said Will Marshall, co-founder and CEO of Planet.

The satellites will join existing first-generation Pelicans in supporting Planet's 50-centimeter class products after completing commissioning. Planet plans to launch additional first- and second-generation Pelican satellites over the next year.

The company stated it plans to begin launching second-generation Pelican satellites later in 2026, designed to achieve up to 30-centimeter resolution. Brian Lewis, mission director for Pelican at Planet, said the shipment reflects momentum in the company's production line.

Planet operates what it describes as the largest Earth observation fleet of imaging satellites, providing satellite imagery and geospatial solutions to agriculture, forestry, intelligence, education, finance and government customers. The San Francisco-based company was founded in 2010 and trades as a public benefit corporation on the New York Stock Exchange.