How Planet Monitors Developments in the South China Sea

An international tribunal in The Hague today disputed China’s claim of sovereignty over a large portion of the South China Sea. How important is this decision? Here is what the New York Times has to say about it:

“The landmark case, brought by the Philippines, was seen as an important crossroads in China’s rise as a global power and in its rivalry with the United States, and it could force Beijing to reconsider its assertive tactics in the region or risk being labeled an international outlaw. It was the first time the Chinese government had been summoned before the international justice system.”

At Planet this news is interesting because our satellites have been imaging the region for over a year. Due to the design of our satellite constellation — which is comprised of many small satellites that are always-on and image everywhere — Planet is uniquely positioned to monitor this rapidly changing region, documenting developments that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

What do we mean by change in the South China Sea? The Sea is dotted with hundreds of small islands and reefs. The Chinese government has developed some of the reefs into artificial islands by dredging sand from the ocean floor and creating new landmass on which to build military installations and other settlements. Planet’s satellites have captured this development extensively.

Because the South China Sea is so large — bigger than the area of Mexico — and because ownership of many of the islands and reefs remains unclear, development on an island or reef can go unnoticed for some time. Understanding what is on each island and the pace at which development is progressing is valuable intelligence for international governing bodies attempting to understand the current state of the region and decide what is legal. This imagery is also useful in monitoring the environmental impacts that result from the building.

Furthermore, knowing which island or reef might be claimed next is important information if an effort to stop such development before it begins is to be feasible. Planet recently captured imagery of unidentified ships in waters near undeveloped Scarborough Shoal. Two days after these images were captured, the U.S. government stated that China had positioned ships at the reef in possible preparation of development on the island. We were able to go back and look at our imagery and visually confirm the presence of ships at Scarborough Shoal.

Planet’s satellites are always monitoring. We’re able to capture historical data that is of great value to those trying to understand current events. To date, Planet has captured 304,041 sqkm of these islands and reefs—that’s a little bit larger than the area of the State of Arizona.

Planet’s satellites will continue to monitor this area without bias, just as it monitors the rest of the Earth’s landmass. As we approach nearly 60 satellites in orbit and deliver imagery to customers through our API, we expect to maintain an unmatched perspective on both the literal and legal developments in the South China Sea.