A Look Back on 2021 From Above
Planet’s purpose is to accelerate humanity toward a more sustainable, secure, and prosperous world, by illuminating environmental and social change. With our fleet of approximately 200 satellites, we look at every terrestrial location on earth each day, monitoring shifting political landscapes, climate change impacts, and crucial conservation initiatives.
2021 certainly was full of swiftly changing and complex events, from the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban to the wildfires in Turkey. Planet’s data helped provide insight on these critical events — and many more — while they occurred in real-time. As this year comes to an end, we are taking a look back at the most newsworthy moments captured.
Inaugural “field of flags” lined the Washington Mall.
Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the world saw a shift in the American political landscape in January as a new U.S. president took office, lining the Washington D.C. Mall with an inaugural “field of flags” in place of the usual crowds.
Chamoli Landslide Causes Destruction in the Himalayas.
In February, Planet’s Dove satellites’ daily imaging revealed extensive landslide damage in the Himalayas, following severe flooding. This helped reporters and scientists gain a better understanding of the chain of events leading to the natural disaster.
Ever Given Ship Blocks Suez Canal.
On March 23, the container ship Ever Given blocked passage through the Suez Canal for six days after being grounded across the canal banks. By March 28, at least 369 ships were queued up in the surrounding waters to pass through.
Researchers Uncover New Missile Silos in China.
With Planet’s data, investigators uncovered hundreds of new silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles in the western desert of China this summer. This represents a historic shift in China’s nuclear weapon capabilities.
Floods Impact Countries Around the World.
This year, record breaking floods damaged property and took lives across several continents. Germany, British Columbia, Kentucky, USA experienced devastating floods, leading to the loss of lives and livelihoods as businesses and homes were washed away.
Drought Strikes the U.S. West.
PlanetScope data revealed the severity of this year’s historic U.S. western drought, displaying sunken reservoir levels and parched lands. Impacting water resources and agriculture across the region, the drought was proclaimed an emergency in California, and a series of new reservoir management practices were implemented.
Afghanistan’s Government Falls to the Taliban.
Planet’s PlanetScope and SkySat images captured the deteriorating situation surrounding the Kabul airport as the Afghan government fell to the Taliban. Chaos ensued as crowds of Afghans swarmed the airport runway on August 16.
Wildfires Scorch Lands Across the Globe.
From Europe to the United States, increased heat and decreased precipitation lead to destructive wildfires. In Turkey, a series of over 200 wildfires burnt over 1,700 sq kilometers of forests. In Greece, 58 fires traveled across the country, burning five times more than their yearly average of land. In northern California, the Dixie Fire persisted for more than three months, and it was the largest wildfire in the state’s history.
Volcanic Activity Grabs the World’s Attention.
Planet’s SkySats captured the beauty and destruction caused by volcanic activity from the Iceland Fagradalsfjall Volcano, erupting in March, to the Cumbre Vieja Volcano in La Palma, which has destroyed 3,000 buildings since it began erupting in September.
Historic Tornadoes Touchdown in United States.
In December, Planet imagery captured unprecedented tornado damage across Kentucky and Tennessee. Following touchdown, one of the tornado systems stayed on the ground longer than any recorded tornado in history. The devastating series of storms flattened thousands of houses.
