By Jeff Foust
Publication Date: 2025-12-30 23:58:00
WASHINGTON — Planet, a company best known for providing geospatial intelligence through its constellation of imaging satellites, sees a significant opportunity in developing orbital data centers for artificial intelligence.
Planet announced last month a partnership with Google on what the companies call Project Suncatcher, an effort to demonstrate the ability of AI data centers to operate in orbit. The first phase of the project involves launching two Planet spacecraft equipped with Google’s tensor processing units, or TPUs, computer chips optimized for AI applications.
The two spacecraft, slated to launch by early 2027, will test TPU performance in the space environment and demonstrate high-bandwidth intersatellite links between the satellites.
In an earnings call earlier this month, Planet Chief Executive Will Marshall described the agreement with Google as a “competitive win,” citing the company’s experience launching more than 600 satellites to date, most…
