Planet Labs Opens New Satellite Manufacturing Facility In Berlin; To Add 70 Employees To Its Existing Team Of Nearly 150

Having been announced less than a year ago, Planet has achieved facility handover and cleanroom fit-out and is scheduled to commence production of its 300 kg class, 30-cm resolution class Pelican™ satellites this autumn. The first satellite is scheduled to be complete before the end of the year, and the facility will be able to scale to up to 60 satellites per year. The facility further establishes Berlin as a major European hub for advanced aerospace manufacturing and production, accelerating high-tech job growth and Europe’s sovereign Earth observation capabilities.The new location in Berlin’s Mitte district brings increased capacity for satellites to Europe. Planet provides sovereign satellites services for countries and, moreover, can launch them fast. For example, Planet was awarded a German-funded contract to deliver dedicated satellite capacity in support of European peace and security within 2 months of contract signature, and with Sweden similarly its first sovereign satellite within 4 months, accelerating their programme 4 years. With these added manufacturing capabilities, Planet intends to not just deliver for Europe, but from Europe."Today I’m thrilled to give a first look at Planet’s world-class manufacturing center and the future of Planet in Berlin, Germany, and Europe," said Will Marshall, Co-Founder and CEO of Planet. "Planet has built and successfully launched 688 satellites in 15 years, second in the world in total satellites – and we’re bringing that manufacturing prowess here. This will enable Europe to quickly gain the capacity to build scaled earth observation satellite fleets to advance Europe’s critical goals from sustainability to security – to give Europe its own eyes on threats.""Europe needs its own eyes in space. In an age of strategic rivalry and growing uncertainty, satellite intelligence is no longer a luxury—it is a prerequisite for security, resilience and genuine strategic autonomy. Germany has the scientific depth, industrial strength and dynamic space ecosystem to become a European anchor for this capability. Planet's investment in Berlin is more than a vote of confidence in the city: it helps turn Europe's ambition for sovereign access to space-based intelligence into operational reality," said Katherina Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy."When Planet makes a commitment, we deliver on it," said Martin Polak, Managing Director of Planet Labs Germany. "Less than one year after announcing our vision for a satellite facility in Berlin, we will soon begin production. Europe needs rapid, independent access to sovereign space capabilities to navigate an increasingly complex security and economic landscape. On behalf of Planet in Germany, I could not be more excited and honored to be making this investment and commitment here in Berlin, continuing Planet’s long history of partnership and innovation in Europe."The 5,700-square-meter facility will serve as a cornerstone of Planet's contributions to European technological advancement in space, addressing the region's growing demand for localized, resilient aerospace innovation and defense solutions. Berlin has been Planet’s base in Europe for over 10 years, serving as a major technical hub with a mission operations center coordinating Planet’s global fleet of hundreds of satellites, software development, imagery processing, and quality control. In addition to satellite production, Planet’s new facility will house other corporate functions such as mission operations, IT, legal, marketing, HR, and sales, among others. Satellites will be built, tested, and shipped from one location, reducing the path from parts to orbit.The first Berlin-built Pelican satellites completed this year are scheduled to be launched on an Isar Aerospace Spectrum launch vehicle in early 2027 – enabling a new first for Germany. This new facility further grows Planet’s European footprint and strengthens the company’s ties with its longstanding German customers and partners, including the German Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG).Planet maintains a strong and growing presence in Europe, home to over 30% of its global workforce with offices in Berlin, Haarlem, Ljubljana, Graz and London. Berlin serves as Planet's primary base of operations in Europe. Planet's ground station network across Germany, the UK, Norway, and Iceland downlinks nearly 50% of all satellite data globally. Planet is guided by its European Advisory Board, which helps the company meet the needs of its growing European customer base.