PRODUCT UPDATES

 Planetary Variables and Sentinel HubNew datasets are available in Sentinel Hub! Land Surface Temperature Soil Water Content Crop BiomassForest CarbonPlanetary Variables are now a supported data layer in Sentinel Hub. You can order Planetary Variables with the Sentinel Hub Third Party Data Import API to be delivered to your Sentinel Hub collections to benefit from all the analysis and streaming capabilities of the Sentinel Hub APIs.You can provide an area of interest, time of interest, and specific Planetary Variable and the data that matches the criteria is delivered to a specified Sentinel Hub collection.Refer to Third Party Data Import API documentation for more information.Interested in learning more about Planetary Variables in Sentinel Hub? Check out this recent blog from Matt Ballard, Technical Marketing Manager at Planet, for a deep dive into our Sentinel Hub datasets! 

Planet implemented an improved normalization approach for surface reflectance basemaps that use Sentinel-2 as a normalization target.Why is this important?PlanetScope imagery is collected using a constellation of different satellites—including different satellite generations—that have different relative spectral responses (RSRs). The different RSRs are due to the different sensors, and the variability in PS surface reflectance (SR) data. SR correction for PS data relies on MODIS estimates of the atmospheric optical thickness, which is collected at a different time of day and at a coarser spatial resolution when compared with PS imagery. This leads to significant variability in PS SR data even for images that have the same RSR. For example, same satellite generation and sensor. Therefore, we apply normalization to correct for the variability of SR data leading to more consistent time series.What did we change?We processed the entire Sentinel-2 imagery catalog between 2017 and 2023 using the Framework for Operational Radiometric Correction for Environmental monitoring (FORCE) method then created monthly-cadence, multi-year composites by estimating the 30th percentile for each pixel location using only cloud-free data. How does this improve the product?Sentinel-2 normalized basemaps will have better correlation to FORCE making them more consistent and accurate for time series use.  The improvements were intentionally made to be fully backwards compatible with our current normalization models so existing customer and archive data is still 100% valid and usable.Are there any possible impacts?The new approach works best when there are a high number of observations to build the model. In areas where observations are limited due to clouds or other conditions, the algorithm may produce inaccurate results that manifest as artifacts in the final product. Examples of this are shown in the technical datasheet. If you notice this or any other artifacts please file a ticket and the customer support team will address the issue. This is not expected to be widespread so there is minimal risk of impact.For additional information, refer to the Surface Reflectance Basemaps Technical Datasheet.

New Cloud Mask Launched ✨Planet introduces a new Cloud Mask, UDM2.1, which significantly improves upon the accuracy of the previous mask, UDM2.0. For full details, see our updated developer center page.

This update provides support for our newest Planetary Variable, Forest Carbon Diligence 30 m, through the Subscriptions API.You can subscribe to both raster and time series data. With this new feature, you have access to the data for the following:Forest Carbon Diligence 30 mIf you are interested in Forest Carbon Diligence 30 m, you can create a subscription and specify this new Planetary Variable source type. If you subscribe to Imagery, this update does not require additional action.For more information, refer to Subscribing to Planetary Variables.

Planet introduces a new Cloud Filter tool to the Subscriptions API. This new tool enables you to filter out imagery that exceeds customer provided Area of Interest cloud cover metadata thresholds.For more information, refer to Subscriptions Tool. 

This update will simplify how quality issues are managed and also how quality information is presented in the Tasking Dashboard.In preparation for this change, we will also simplify how we surface quality information in the dashboard.These improvements are part of a broader initiative to make Planet quality processes faster, more accurate, and easier to interact with - more to come in the next months!What's New? New Evaluation field API Tasking DashboardThe Evaluation field replaces the Assessment field, which is deprecated and will not reflect future improvements to our quality processes.Rejecting a capture in the Tasking DashboardIf you disagree with the quality evaluation for an order, the Tasking Dashboard allows you to request an additional review of the capture within two weeks from the capture publication date.The Assessment feature replaces the current manual process and you no longer have to contact your Planet representative.Please provide as much information as possible in your request to expedite the process.The process of the capture review is visible in the dashboard in the capture detail view and in the order history.The Planet team reviews your request and might re-task or re-process the image if our quality commitments are not met. Email notifications will be sent to the order creator once a decision is made. Your Planet representative may also reach out for more information about this issue.

Path Prefix Support is now available using the Subscriptions APIYou can now use the path_prefix parameter in the Subscriptions API when you deliver subscriptions to one of our supported cloud storage providers. This is an optional string that will prepend to the files delivered to the bucket.

You can now use geometries with up to 1,500 vertices in the Planet Subscriptions API.

On September 14, 2023, archival PlanetScope images will only be available through the PSScene item type. PSOrthoTile archive images will no longer be available through the Planet API or Planet Explorer. This change allows Planet to improve your experience by streamlining access to PlanetScope data through a single source.If you use PSScene with the default filter options, you do not need to make any changes to your account. There is no impact on your workflows or ability to access orthorectified imagery through PSScene.  If you use PSOrthoTiles to change filters, please update the item type in your workflow from PSOrthoTile to PSScene before September 14, 2023. Please see our PSOrthoTile Deprecation and Migration Plan for additional information.For additional information and support, please contact your Customer Success Manager or submit a support ticket to Planet Support.  

When you order imagery in Planet Explorer, you have the option to deliver the order to Hosted Data.  Hosted Data allows you to visualize the imagery in full resolution and customize the rendering for enhanced visual interpretation. More information is available in How to Order and Stream Hosted Data.In applications that support the WMTS and XYZ protocols, you are now able to stream Hosted Data without revealing your API key. Simply go to the Hosted Data section of Planet Explorer and enable tile streaming links for your Hosted Data folders. This enables the availability of streaming services links that do not require your Planet API key and do not have an expiration date.  You can stream all of the images in your Hosted Data folder in the WMTS specification.  When you do this, images are grouped together by item type and date.  For a given date, the most recent images are  shown on top and there is a limit of 30 scenes that can be streamed at once.  You can also stream individual scenes within a folder with the XYZ or WMTS specifications and as a Cloud-Optimized Geotiff (COG). 

Planet has enhanced the availability of PlanetScope images by lifting the existing restrictions on publishing unrectified images, and therefore increasing the amount of published images. Starting on July 19, 2023, PlanetScope customers can expect a noticeable increase in the availability of published imagery over their area of interest (AOI) and their time of interest (TOI), especially over coastal, water and very cloudy regions. Users will observe less gaps between images in a given strip.  Planet expects the global publication rate to increase by approximately 10%.  Analysis has shown that 90% of unrectified images are fully cloud covered and provide minimal value. However, with this effort, Planet plans to increase the understanding of Dove collection rates for both the AOI and the TOI. More information about the changes and what this means is available in the Publishing All Unrectified PlanetScope Imagery Knowledge Base article. 

Hey there! We have two awesome improvements for you in the Tasking platform! Now, we’re linking your Account Quota as part of your Tasking journey. So, every time you place an order, we’ll show you how much quota you have left. Once you've reached your existing quota limit, we’ll pause the ordering process. These changes give you the opportunity to strategize and plan for optimal quota usage! Available Quota  Limit EnforcementThere are no changes to how you are charged or how your quota usage is measured. The Tasking platform updates provide ease of use, and greater visibility and predictability into your quota usage. 💡Remember, you can conveniently monitor your current tasking quota usage on your Planet Account page any time! You can access the Account page from the Tasking Dashboard by clicking the Account icon, top right link. Questions or Issues?Contact Planet Support or email tasking-feedback@planet.com with any questions or issues. Also, if needed, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Customer Success Manager or Account Executive. 

What’s New with the GEE Integration? Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a supported delivery destination for the Orders API. New in this release: All Orders API tools are now supported allowing  you to apply preprocessing to your imagery before it is delivered to GEE.  Added support for ordering Planet Basemaps.Interested in learning more about Planet's GEE delivery enhancements? Check out this recent blog from Kevin Lacaille for a deep dive into our integration! GEE Integration: a Planet Developers Deep DiveRefer to the Google Earth Engine Delivery documentation.

Planetary Variables are now Available via the Subscriptions API ✨Planet's satellite-observed Soil Water Content (SWC), Land Surface Temperature (LST), and Crop Biomass (BP) Planetary Variables are now delivered entirely through Planet's infrastructure. New support for the delivery of Planetary Variables is available through the Subscriptions API. With this new feature, customers can subscribe to both raster and time series data for the following Planetary Variables:Soil Water Content: The amount of water stored in the soil above groundwater levels. Land Surface Temperature: Radiative skin temperature of the land surface, or the temperature directly on the surface of Earth.  Crop Biomass: Index (from 0 to 1) of the relative amount of biomass in an area, especially useful in cloudy regions.How to SubscribeCustomers interested in Planetary Variables via the API can create a subscription and specify a Planetary Variable source type. This change requires no action on the part of users who subscribe to imagery.Read more about Subscribing to Planetary Variables.

This is a repost. See the original post: hereA few months ago, we let you know about the first beta release of our new Python SDK and CLI. On behalf of the Developer Relations team here at Planet, I’m so excited to announce that this new toolkit is now live and available to all. This new and improved toolkit took the best parts of the original Planet Python library and added a number of great improvements. If you’ve had the opportunity to use the beta tool, you’ll already be familiar with how much easier it makes working with Planet’s APIs in Python: the 2.0 release of our Python SDK abstracts out all the details of interacting with Planet’s APIs, so you can focus on actually using the data and building workflows. We’ve also built a new Command-Line Interface to enable that same easy interaction with Planet APIs – without using code. If you’re already familiar with Planet’s V1 CLI, the new and improved CLI is similar while also allowing you to work in a more modular fashion, enabling a wider array of workflows. Check out the documentation here to learn more about how it works, and don’t miss the Tips & Tricks section for some nifty examples of how you can use the Planet CLI alongside your favorite geospatial tools like GDAL/OGR, Fiona (fio), Kepler.gl, Placemark.io, and more. Both the SDK and the CLI support the Orders, Data, and Subscriptions APIs. To get started, install it from pip with ‘pip install planet’, explore the CLI, and then dive into the Python Guide. Be sure to not miss the SDK Examples that link to a number of Python Notebooks. If you’re already a user of the V1 Python Client, check out our upgrade guide for tips on migrating your code to V2. We’re very interested in hearing from you all as you start using this new toolkit, so don’t hesitate to ask for help or share your feedback with us: just post on Planet Community and tag your post with ‘sdk’ or ‘cli’.

Tasking Dashboard and the Planet Account PageNow you can access the Planet Account page directly from the Tasking Dashboard.        Quota Usage and Reports on the Planet Account PageFrom the Planet Account Page, you can:View the quota bars for current tasking quota usage. Run Quota Usage reports for a detailed breakdown of information about quota availability and usage.Note: The Usage reports do not include Data on orders from before November 17, 2022.Tasking Dashboard ImprovementsThere are several improvements in the Tasking Dashboard to enhance the Customer experience.New BasemapThe Tasking Dashboard Basemap has been refreshed to offer a more detailed view. The new Basemap uses imagery from the PlanetScope constellation to navigate and target your area of interest (AOI) more easily. This is especially helpful in areas with few geographical features.New Filter OptionTrack expiring Flexible orders with the new Expiring soon filter in Orders by State.Date PickerWith the new date picker, you can select the date range for your imagery search results. Select the Dates to filter your search for one or more date ranges. The dates are UTC by default. 

Planet Explorer Updates April 19, 2023✨ New ✨It is now easier to preview and order imagery. When you search for imagery, there are three new buttons.Click the X items button to check out each satellite image from that date and make the best choice. Click the eye button to preview the imagery from that date on the map. Click the cart button to add the imagery to your order. You can select and de-select imagery from multiple dates. You can also lock the footprint of an image onto the map to get a better sense of coverage.When you place an order, there is a new option to composite images, which stitches them together. You will receive fewer files and consume less quota. Composite all will give you one file and composite by strip will provide the most consistency (spatial, spectral, environmental, etc). Take a look at the impact of each option on the map to get a sense of what you will receive.You can now more easily use your Hosted Data in other tools and platforms. Download the Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG) and pull it into other web applications at no extra cost.Improvements 🙌🏻You can now select MGRS as a format in Settings, under the Coordinate System section. You can also easily copy MGRS coordinates out of Explorer to paste into other systems. The coordinates can be found in the bottom banner of the app. Please note: precision varies by the zoom level and resolution.

Improvements It is now easier to select your time of interest in Explorer, especially for date ranges beyond two months. You can now enter your start and end date ranges as well as select them on the calendar. We have made improvements to Compare mode. You can now see the search field while in Compare mode. If you’d like to search for another location, you can do so faster now. If you try to place an order clipped to a complex geometry, the order fails. We now include a fail-safe in Explorer that disables the clipping option if your geometry is too complex. This check gives you the confidence that your order won’t fail because of a complex geometry. We have changed the defaults when you place an order. Harmonization is no longer on by default. The Harmonization tool is best applied if someone is ordering PlanetScope data from various constellations (for example, SuperDove and Dove-R); this situation does not apply to most people because SuperDoves provide full coverage. The clipping tool is on by default.Bug Fixes Small AOIs now show their area correctly up to 3 decimal places instead of 0 km2. We’ve fixed an issue that led to the application crashing when SkySat items were ordered as Hosted Data.

There are substantial improvements to Quota calculations and Planet’s Terms of Service (ToS) for order creation in the Tasking Dashboard. Automated Quota CalculationQuota calculation functionality is greatly improved for order entry. It is now evident which tasking parameters impose higher or lower quota cost. A quota preview displays costs directly in the Tasking Dashboard. Quota estimates are automatically updated as you input requirements.The dashboard now displays how much quota is used for each order. The information is available in both the order details view and the table view. Used quota is always current, reflecting the amount of quota used in a given order to date.Planet’s Terms of Service AlignmentThe tasking parameters at the order entry stage are now consistent with Planet’s current ToS and the capabilities of the SkySat constellation. The improvements allow Planet to maximize order fulfillment and deliver as many high quality captures as possible.The following parameters apply to all orders:  A minimum duration of 14 days for the Time of Interest (TOI)  The order must be submitted at least 24 hours before the TOI start time A maximum 30º Off-nadir angle (ONA) applies to all orders   

From economists to ecologists, our Education and Research Program enables researchers from around the globe to dive into Planet’s datasets and explore a world of near limitless research insights. And starting today, we are transforming the program to offer greater global accessibility and enhanced user capabilities! Through a new tiered pricing system, we aim to serve more universities from more countries than ever before.With this program transformation, we are also offering our high-resolution SkySat data to our E&R users, a first for a university program in the satellite data industry.  To read more about this please check out this Planet Pulse article. 

Improvements Geometry simplification in Explorer: The Import Dialog is updated to provide improved validation and assistance when a geometry needs to be simplified. Multi-features display on a map and you can easily inspect your selections with a geo reference instead of a thumbnail. You can choose to select or deselect all. If your geometry contains more than 500 vertices or if it contains self intersecting lines, you are presented with simplified and supported alternatives.Enhancement Measurements: Measurements no longer display as abbreviating measurements. For example, 1,500 km2 instead of 1.5k km2. If you were confused by the k abbreviation for 1,000 versus km, we now display full measurements without abbreviating them.Bug Fixes This release fixed an issue when moving Hosted Data items to folders. Now only selected data is moved. There were issues re-ordering past orders that were not clipped. Now you can now re-order without issues.

We've made a few updates so that searching and ordering data is easier in Explorer: You can clip Hosted Data orders You can re-order an order from the Orders tab You will see a pin on the map if you search for a specific address Why clip Hosted Data?When you order Hosted Data, you can visualize full bit-depth imagery in the browser. Now, if your plan includes clipping, you can clip it to your area of interest when you place an order.To learn more about ordering Hosted Data, check out How to Order Hosted Data in the Planet Explorer User Guide.How do I re-order?We heard that sometimes you need to order multiple assets for the same date and place. Now you can easily do that in the Orders tab.How do I find an exact address?Simply type in the exact address in the search bar and you will see a pin on top of it. Happy exploring!

Planet is reprocessing the PlanetScope Archive (all images taken by Dove-R and SuperDove satellites before March 1, 2022) to improve radiometric alignment between bands using a new registration and compositor method, which is already in use for all images taken after March 1, 2022. This process started in late September, 2022, and will carry on through November 2022. This leads to clearer images, and a much better product for performing analysis. Reprocessing will affect the availability of some older images. Many images will be added to the archive due to the improved processing methods, while some images may be removed from the archive as a result of a corresponding increase in Planet’s quality threshold. An important caveat for subscriptions API users: reprocessed images will appear in your feed as recently updated, which may lead to inadvertent downloading of some old images. For more information on this process, and how it impacts subscriptions users, please see this support documentation. If you have any questions about this process, please reach out to support. Before ReprocessingAfter Reprocessing 

Nonprofit organizations and NGOs are mission-driven, high-impact organizations that aim to promote the common good. However, due to extremely tight budgets, nonprofits often rely on publicly available data that is typically outdated and insufficient at the scale at which they operate.Planet hopes to change some of that dynamic.Organizations have been taking advantage of freely available satellite imagery, such as Landsat and Sentinel, for decades. However, imagery at 30m and 10m respectively often does not provide the detailed spatial information required to monitor change at a local level. In many cases, they need daily imagery so they can take action as change happens in real-time on the ground. Clouds also are commonly an issue with publicly available imagery due to their less frequent temporal resolution. The Planet Nonprofit Program strives to reduce the barriers that nonprofits face by providing a customized offering of its imagery and services. Through tiered product bundling inclusive of steeply discounted pricing on PlanetScope, SkySat, and the Planet cloud-free Basemaps, we hope to enable nonprofits to discover the value of high-temporal, high-resolution imagery to help advance their mission.Planet has worked closely with nonprofit organizations in the past on impactful initiatives, such as detecting illegal mining in the Amazon, preserving cultural heritage in active conflict areas, mapping renewable energy, and measuring global carbon emissions. But to efficiently scale and move faster than the problems we have to solve to ensure a safe, healthy planet for future generations, we need to increase the rate of our ability to get Planet products into the world’s hands. We believe Planet’s Nonprofit Program will help us get closer to that goal.  Are you a nonprofit/NGO that is ready to unlock the power of Planet data? Contact the Nonprofit Program!

The Planet Explorer Importer now supports KMZ files to specify an area of interest (AOI).KMZ files are zip-compressed KML files that store map locations that are viewable in various geographic information systems (GIS) applications, including Planet Explorer.