Revisit Time
The frequency with which a satellite or constellation can image the same point on Earth, measured in days, hours, or minutes.
Explanation
Revisit time depends on orbital altitude, inclination, swath width, and the number of satellites in a constellation. A single LEO satellite with a typical swath width might revisit the same location every 5-16 days, depending on the repeat cycle of its ground track. Constellations reduce revisit time dramatically: Planet's 200+ Dove satellites achieve daily global coverage, while Starlink's thousands of satellites could theoretically enable sub-hourly revisit. Revisit time is distinct from temporal resolution, which also accounts for cloud cover and tasking priorities. For disaster response and defense surveillance, minutes-scale revisit is a key requirement. Operators trade off revisit time against GSD: wider swaths increase coverage frequency but at lower resolution. Constellation design optimizes the number of satellites and orbital planes to achieve a target revisit interval.
Why It Matters
Revisit time determines whether a satellite system can monitor fast-changing events — hurricanes, floods, military movements, crop growth — or can only provide occasional snapshots. It is the competitive battleground for Earth observation constellations.
Concept Map
How Revisit Time connects to other glossary terms:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest revisit time commercially available?
Planet's combined Dove and SkySat constellation can achieve multiple revisits per day for many locations, with some areas seeing 7+ passes daily.
Can a single satellite have a short revisit time?
Not for most latitudes. A single LEO satellite typically takes days to return to the same spot. Large constellations are required for sub-daily revisit.
Sources
Last updated: July 1, 2026