Planet Labs

Planet Labs operates the world's largest fleet of Earth observation satellites, providing daily, high-resolution imagery of the entire landmass. Their mission is to image the Earth every day and make global change visible, accessible, and actionable. They build and operate a constellation of small, low-cost satellites, including the 'Doves' for daily monitoring and 'SkySats' for higher-resolution, on-demand imaging. This vast dataset powers a wide range of applications, from monitoring deforestation and agricultural yields to tracking supply chains and supporting disaster response. Planet Labs is not just a satellite operator; it's a data company, transforming raw imagery into actionable intelligence through advanced analytics and machine learning. The engineering culture at Planet is a unique blend of aerospace, software, and data science. Engineers work on everything from designing and building satellites to developing scalable cloud infrastructure for processing petabytes of imagery and creating sophisticated machine learning algorithms for extracting insights. There's a strong emphasis on automation, continuous integration/delivery, and robust data pipelines. The culture is collaborative, mission-driven, and values curiosity and impact. Growth trajectory for Planet Labs has been significant, culminating in its public listing on the NYSE in 2021. They continue to expand their satellite capabilities, enhance their data platform, and grow their customer base across various industries. What makes Planet Labs unique for job seekers is the opportunity to work at the forefront of space technology and big data analytics, solving real-world problems with global impact. You can contribute to the entire lifecycle, from hardware in space to software on the ground, and see your work directly influence environmental monitoring, sustainable development, and global security. The tech stack is diverse and modern, heavily leveraging Python, C++, Go, AWS, Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, Spark, and various geospatial libraries. Working at Planet means being part of a pioneering team that is democratizing access to Earth observation data, enabling a deeper understanding of our planet, and empowering organizations to make more informed decisions. It's an ideal environment for those passionate about space, data, and making a positive impact on the world.