Why Satellite Data Is Asia-Pacific’s Greatest Ally in 2025
StoriesPlanet is turning 15 in the year 2025, and as a leading provider of satellite imagery and data analysis, one thing has remained constant for us: change. Over the years, we have witnessed rapid changes through the lens of our PlanetScope and SkySat imagery across Asia-Pacific, including Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.
We’ve spoken with key Planet leaders in Asia-Pacific to share their insights on how Earth observation (EO) data can help governments and organizations navigate regional dynamics and strategies for peace and stability, disaster management, and sustainability coming into 2025 and beyond.
COMMITMENT TO IMPROVEMENTS
We cannot look ahead without looking back at the major changes in 2024. One of the biggest was the launch of the Planet Insights Platform. Jon Powers, Vice President of Sales, said, “The Planet Insights Platform is a big step forward in our quest for more accessible and actionable satellite data. Through the all-in-one platform, customers and partners can easily navigate, integrate, and analyze the available data into their workflows.” The cloud-native platform enables governments to obtain satellite data at scale and practice broad area management across vast territories and contested areas. It efficiently streamlines the monitoring, analysis, and reporting of changes within large volumes of Earth data sets.
Monitoring and protecting the Asia-Pacific’s many islands and large waterways is a challenging but critical task. With expanded Pelican and SuperDove constellations providing high-resolution and high-frequency satellite data, maritime authorities and naval forces can further improve maritime domain awareness (MDA) and better track vessels, detect illegal fishing, and secure territorial waters.
Planet's commitment to improvement extends beyond its technology. "We're also investing in building a world-class team with deep expertise in EO and passion for our mission," says Jon. "With Kian Kang as the new Head of Sales in the region, we’re confident that we will have a deeper understanding of our customers’ needs and how we can better support them.”
Kian looks forward to the opportunities and challenges in the region. "We see tremendous potential to support sustainable development, economic growth, and security in Asia-Pacific," he says. "We're working with disaster agencies to develop early warning systems for natural disasters, and with environmental agencies to monitor deforestation and protect critical ecosystems," Kian explains.
AI and EO: The Natural Allies
AI continues to dominate and disrupt industries in ways never seen before. Naturally, large data sets, including high-resolution satellite imagery, are essential in training AI models for meaningful, real-world applications. In turn, AI helps democratize how EO data is applied and used by data engineers or technical analysts without prior geospatial data experience. We asked Tom Farrow, Planet Regional Sales Director, Asia-Pacific, how AI will transform the digitalization of government services in Asia-Pacific and emerging EO trends.
In the areas of disaster and emergency management and peace and stability, every second matters. How do you think AI can revolutionize these areas?
Tom Farrow: “In disaster management, we will see AI-driven image classification and damage detection models that can significantly improve rapid damage assessment. This enhances post-disaster response for earthquakes, landslides, bushfires, and floods for efficient emergency team management and resource allocations.
Additionally, combining synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and EO data enables more real-time, persistent disaster monitoring. Fusing and extracting critical insights with low latency enhances situational awareness, supporting faster and more informed decision-making.”
How about the changing geopolitical landscape and its impact on regional peace and stability?
Tom Farrow: “Similar to disaster and emergency management, geointelligence in the age of AI demands enhanced early warning capabilities to detect adversary build-up, monitor territorial borders, and secure the maritime domain which is an increasingly contested space in the Asia-Pacific region.”
To learn more about the evolving relationship between AI and EO, you can watch the Planet AI Symposium with Will Marshall, Anthropic, U.S. Space Force, Al Gore, and more, available on-demand.
LOCAL COLLABORATIONS, GLOBAL IMPACT
With changing government leaders comes shifting policies and priorities. However, there is a growing consensus as more countries are focusing on sustainability as one of their pillars. Tom said, “Sustainability is high on the agenda of most Asia-Pacific governments. The rise of multi- and hyperspectral sensors allows a much deeper analysis of the environment offering critical insights into rapid changes affecting forest, aquatic, and coastal ecosystems. To protect these natural resources, governments will need a more comprehensive understanding of these shifts, supported by natural capital markets that require measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV).”
The insight rings true from our 2024 Planet Connect sessions, where sustainability and resiliency are the heart of government initiatives in Australia, Japan, and Vietnam. In Japan, extreme weather events made 2024 headlines, from the late blooming of the cherry blossoms to a snowless Mt. Fuji. Planet’s Country Manager in Japan, Shoichi Seki, shared how Planet constellations can support the country’s efforts to combat climate change and enhance its disaster management. Each constellation offers unique solutions to address unique disaster and emergency scenarios. Shoichi said, “PlanetScope delivers near-daily global imaging to track deforestation, urban expansion, and land use changes, supporting long-term climate mitigation efforts. For more detailed assessments, SkySat provides high-resolution imagery for building damage and infrastructure conditions. When speed is critical, Pelican offers near-real-time updates to enhance rapid disaster response and emergency planning. Meanwhile, Tanager’s hyperspectral data delivers environmental insights such as water quality, vegetation health, and soil composition to empower data-driven policy decisions.”
On the opposite side of the region, we’ve chatted with G. Satish Raju, Planet’s Senior Manager Industry Account for Asia-Pacific, to better understand how Planet plans to support India in 2025.
As India strives to achieve its ambitious environmental targets in 2025, how can EO data support efforts to monitor deforestation, combat pollution, protect biodiversity, and ensure sustainable resource management?
G. Satish Raju: “India faces challenges on several fronts, including water stress, shrinking forest cover, low agricultural productivity, and mounting pressure on urban infrastructure from a growing population, driven by rural-to-urban migration. Broad area management using Planet’s near-daily EO data empowers the country to monitor and protect vital forests, water bodies, and agricultural lands from encroachment and degradation. Additionally, Planet’s suite of products and services, such as the Forest Carbon Planetary Variables, can be utilized to track carbon stocks and help ensure a sustainable future for India.”
In the face of evolving security challenges in 2025, how can EO data support India's defense and intelligence agencies in monitoring border regions, enhancing maritime domain awareness, and protecting critical infrastructure?
G. Satish Raju: “India’s tense border relationships demand constant monitoring for national security. Near-daily data capture and high-resolution imagery provide real-time intelligence, while Analytic Feeds automate change detection in roads and buildings, reducing manual scans. At sea, broad area management enabled by Planet satellite data enhances MDA, detecting dark ships, spoofing, and other threats across sensitive open waters from West Asia to East Asia.”
In the broader context, Planet data is a powerful tool to empower governments and organizations to advance sustainability, maintain peace and stability, and enhance disaster and emergency management, when applied within their contexts. Together, these programs and initiatives amplify the global impact of better-informed policies and decisions. This is why we are eager to collaborate and learn from local customers and partners and be part of organizations such as the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) and the SatCom Industry Association (SIA-India).
Looking ahead, you can expect more Planet events and activities that will explore key regional issues in depth, including a major event in Asia-Pacific later this year. Keep an eye out for updates and opportunities to connect with us.
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