Google: Project Suncatcher: two prototype satellites with cross-links
Planet builds and operates two prototype satellites for Google to test TPUs working together over high-bandwidth inter-satellite links.
| Company | |
|---|---|
| Partners | Planet |
| Category | prototype satellites |
| Hardware | Google TPUs (per satellite count not stated) |
| Timeline | early 2027 (target) |
| Vehicle | not public |
| Mission | not public |
| Scale | 2 satellites flying in tandem with high-bandwidth cross-links |
| Funding (public) | not public |
| Status | planned |
| NORAD IDs | not yet public |
Sources
- Planet (planet.com), 2025-11-04: Planet will deploy two prototype satellites for Google, targeting a launch by early 2027
- Google (blog.google), 2026-09-24: We'll test our work on this in 2027 when we put two satellites in orbit
Related projects
| Project | Lead | Hardware | Timeline | Status | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Suncatcher: first TPU prototype satellite | 4 Google Trillium-generation TPUs | 1 Oct 2026, 18:32 UTC (Transporter-18) | in orbit | [1] [2] [3] [4] | |
| Vera Rubin Space-1 Module | NVIDIA | Vera Rubin Space-1 Module for orbital data centers | announced 16 Mar 2026 (GTC); availability not stated | announced | [1] |
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