Overview
- Google published a research plan for an initial 81-satellite cluster in sun-synchronous orbit around 650 km, flying in tight formation to run ML workloads.
- Early link tests using optical inter-satellite connections reached terabit-class throughput, a step toward data-center-like networking in space.
- Two prototype satellites carrying Trillium-generation TPUs are slated for early 2027 to validate performance in low Earth orbit.
- Google says orbital solar arrays can be up to eight times more productive than on Earth and reports radiation tests exceeding the planned five-year mission dose.
- The company projects viability if launch costs fall toward about $200 per kilogram by the mid-2030s, as experts caution that dense constellations raise collision and debris risks.