BlackSky LEO satellite constellation
| Position: | LEO |
| Manufacturer: | LeoStella |
| Operator: | BlackSky |
| Launch operators: | Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) |
| Rocket Lab | |
| SpaceX | |
| Launch vehicles: | Electron |
| Falcon 9 | |
| PSLV | |
| Launch date: | |
| Expected lifetime: | 3 Years |
BlackSky is a leading provider of real-time geospatial intelligence and monitors activities and facilities worldwide by harnessing the world’s emerging sensor networks and leveraging its own satellite constellation. The company plans a 60-satellite constellation, which would offer 1m resolution and rapid satellite revisit rates.
The satellite constellation is currently being built by SmallSat manufacturer LeoStella, LLC, a joint venture between Spaceflight Industries and Thales Alenia Space. The BlackSky Pathfinder-1 micro-satellite was an Earth imaging satellite that was built by LeoStella as a demonstration satellite for BlackSky Global. Pathfinder-1 was equipped with payloads from Harris Corp. designed to image an area of approx. 4.4 by 6.6km (2.7 by 4.1mile). The satellite was launched on 26 September 2016 on a PSLV launch vehicle operated by ISRO from India.
The spacecraft of the constellation will be launched into orbits of about 450 km to achieve high-resolution imagery of 1m GSD (Ground Sample Distance). The microsatellites have a mass of about 44kgs and they will be equipped with a propulsion system to stay in orbit for about 3 years.
The first launch of BlackSky’s Gen-2 satellites started in 2018 by launching Global-1 and Global-2 with the SSO-A mission on a Falcon 9 rocket operated by SpaceX, using the SHERPA satellite dispenser.
Various launches were executed in the following months and years by reputed launch operators orbiting BlackSky’s satellites:
| Satellite | Mission | Launch Date | Launcher | Launch Operator |
| Pathfinder-1 | SCATSAT-1 | 26-Sept-16 | PSLV | ISRO India |
| Pathfinder-2 | not launched | |||
| Global-1 | SSO-A | 02-Dec-18 | Falcon 9 | SpaceX USA |
| Global-2 | SSO-A | 02-Dec-18 | Falcon 9 | SpaceX USA |
| Global-3 | Make-it-Rain | 29-June-19 | Electron | Rocket Lab NZ |
| Global-4 | Look-Ma, No-Hands | 19-Aug-19 | Electron | Rocket Lab NZ |
| Global-5 | Starlink-10 rideshare | 07-Aug-20 | Falcon 9 | SpaceX USA |
| Global-6 | Starlink-10 rideshare | 07-Aug-20 | Falcon 9 | SpaceX USA |
| Global-7 | They-Go-Up-So-Fast | 23-Mar-21 | Photon | Rocket Lab NZ |
| Global-8 | failed | 15-May-21 | Electron | Rocket Lab NZ |
| Global-9 | failed | 15-May-21 | Electron | Rocket Lab NZ |
| Global-10 | Love-at-First-Insight | 18-Nov-21 | Electron | Rocket Lab NZ |
| Global-11 | Love-at-First-Insight | 18-Nov-21 | Electron | Rocket Lab NZ |
| Global-12 | Starlink Group 4-3 | 03-Dec-21 | Falcon 9 | SpaceX USA |
| Global-13 | Starlink Group 4-3 | 03-Dec-21 | Falcon 9 | SpaceX USA |
| Global-14 | A-Data-With-Destiny | 09-Dec-21 | Electron | Rocket Lab NZ |
| Global-15 | A-Data-With-Destiny | 09-Dec-21 | Electron | Rocket Lab NZ |
| Global-16 | Without-Mission-A-Beat | 02-Apr-22 | Electron | Rocket Lab NZ |
| Global-17 | Without-Mission-A-Beat | 02-Apr-22 | Electron | Rocket Lab NZ |
BlackSky LEO satellite constellation
