‘Black Lives Matter’ Message Seen From Space In New Satellite Photo

A private aerospace company was able to capture a stunning satellite photo of the “Black Lives Matter” message painted on the road leading up to the White House. The message was painted as part of the protests following the murder of George Floyd.

The image taken from space was captured by the satellite of the San Francisco-based company Planet, also known as Planet Labs Inc. It was shared by the company via its Twitter account on June 6.

Planet’s latest satellite image features the giant “Black Lives Matter” message painted on 16^th Street in Washington, D.C. Each of the 16 yellow-colored bold letters spans the width of the two-lane road, which leads to the White House.

It was painted by city workers contacted by D.C. Mayor Murial Bowser, CNN reported. Aside from the giant banner-like message, Planet’s satellite photo also includes an image of the White House and the Lafayette Square, which has served as the site of protests in the area against police brutality.

The massive movement was sparked by the death of Floyd, who was murdered by members of the Minneapolis police department.

Before sharing the satellite image through its Twitter account, Planet had released a statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the country.

“We stand in solidarity with the Black community and all people of color who are peacefully voicing their anger and frustration at having their voices ignored for too long,” the company said in a statement. “Planet supports the equal treatment of all people and believes that we must all stand up and speak out for openness, inclusion and social justice.”

Currently, Planet has over 350 satellites orbiting Earth, which were deployed to take high-quality photos of the planet from space. Most of Planets’ satellites flying around Earth are known as Doves, which are tiny cubesats that are as big as a shoebox.

The satellite that captured the “Black Lives Matter” message, however, is a bit bigger. It is a SkySat satellite that’s about as big as a mini refrigerator. Planet currently operates 15 SkySats in low-Earth orbit.