31 Jul 2022

Planet Labs’ capacity to use advanced technology provides government with an opportunity to explore partnerships that will advance the country’s endeavour to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

This was said by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi during a meeting with the company’s co-founder and chief executive officer Dr Will Marshall alongside government officials in Ghanzi on Friday. Dr Masisi said he was intrigued by the US company’s products, particularly that they supported multiple uses.

Based in California, Planet Labs is an earth imaging company that designs and manufactures Triple-CubeSat miniature satellites called Doves that are then delivered into orbit as secondary payloads on other rocket launch missions. 

Each Dove is equipped with a high-powered telescope and camera programmed to capture different swaths of earth.

President Masisi, who hosted Dr Marshall on the sidelines of the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said because of government’s knowledge-based economy aspirations, Planet Labs presented a platform for Botswana to advance its economy, innovation and education.

Making a presentation about the company’s services, Dr Marshall, a former US’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientist, said if the collaboration materialised, Planet Labs would build capacity in Botswana.

He said the company’s satellites could scan the world daily and extract useful data that touched most spheres of life ranging from agriculture, defence and security, forest and land use, mapping, drought response, energy and infrastructure among others.

On applications that could boost agricultural production, Dr Marshall mentioned monitoring of irrigation systems to help farmers make informed decisions.

Other applications could be used to monitor borders and open pit mines as well as detection of floods and fires, he said. Ends