Pleiades / eo constellation
sourcingtypical 4/5 · 16 factsThe identical Pleiades 1A and Pleiades 1B satellites deliver 50cm very high-resolution multispectral imagery with a 20km swath. They are operated on the same orbit as the SPOT 6 satellite, forming a 3-satellite constellation that enables intraday revisit to any point on Earth. The system offers five collection scenarios: target, strip mapping, tri-stereo, corridor and persistent monitoring, and serves both civil and military projects.
key specs
faq
Who operates Pleiades?
Pleiades is operated by CNES. (source, as of 2026-07-05)
How many Pleiades satellites are active on orbit?
CelesTrak's catalog currently tracks 2 objects for Pleiades. (source, as of 2026-07-11)
When did Pleiades first launch?
Pleiades first launched on 2011-12-17. (source, as of 2026-07-05)
imaging modes
facts
sats active (verified) counts objects currently tracked in CelesTrak's catalog for this constellation. It is a tracking count, not an operator claim about satellite health.
orbit
timeline
- 20142014-12Airbus grants Azercosmos access to Pleiades-HR 1 and 2 imagery under Azersky deal (source, as of 2026-07-06)
- 20122012-12-02Pleiades 1B launches, completing the two-satellite Pleiades-HR constellation (source, as of 2026-07-06)
- 20112011-12-17Pleiades 1A launches from Kourou, opening CNES's high-resolution follow-on to SPOT (source, as of 2026-07-06)