Watch incredible footage of 88 satellites from historic launch enter orbit
A new video shows a flock of 88 tiny satellites stretching their wings in space for the first time on Tuesday.
They were part of a launch that put a record-breaking 104 satellites into orbit at once.
The 88 Dove satellites were manufactured by private Earth-imaging company Planet, which used a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Indian Space Research Organization to get the job done.
The rocket's onboard camera captured a beautiful video of at least some of the Doves deploying after launch.
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All of the little satellites are happy and healthy in orbit, according to Planet, and soon enough, we should start seeing their special views of Earth.
The 88 Doves, when combined with the 12 other Doves and other Planet-run satellites in orbit, will let the company image the entire Earth every day.
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That capability will let Planet's customers use the data to see the world changing -- due to deforestation, agriculture or other large-scale impacts -- in close to real time.
"If everyday you're getting an alert where trees are going down where they aren't allowed to be harvested or cut down, then you can actually go and send someone and do something about it," Mike Safyan, Planet's director of launch and regulatory affairs, said in an interview before launch.
The new flock of Doves should be fully up and running in about three months.
Miriam Kramer worked as a staff writer for Space.com for about 2.5 years before joining Mashable to cover all things outer space. She took a ride in weightlessness on a zero-gravity flight and watched rockets launch to space from places around the United States. Miriam received her Master's degree in science, health and environmental reporting from New York University in 2012, and she originally hails from Knoxville, Tennessee. Follow Miriam on Twitter at @mirikramer.
