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Khabre desk
Recent reporting, analysis and explainers from the satellites desk.
technology
Google’s Project Suncatcher studies whether solar-powered satellite constellations could support large-scale AI computing. Its early work includes a bench-scale optical-link demonstration and radiation testing of a TPU; a two-satellite learning mission with Planet is planned for early 2027.
technology
Google says its Project Suncatcher prototype has run the Gemma 4 model on an onboard TPU and returned an AI-generated response to Earth. The company describes it as the first AI response from a data-centre-class TPU in orbit.
technology
Google says its Project Suncatcher prototype generated an AI response in orbit using a data-center-class TPU and the Gemma 4 model. The next tests will examine TPU performance under thermal stress and radiation exposure.
science
Arctic sea ice reached an estimated 4.6 million square kilometres on September 12, 2026, tying three other years for the 10th-lowest minimum in the satellite record. The long-term decline continues even as recent summer minimums have been relatively steady.
technology
ESA says Sentinel-3C has returned its first colour images and radar-altimeter measurements, including data on sea-surface height and Greenland’s ice sheet. The satellite remains in commissioning, which is expected to take another five months.
technology
NVIDIA says French-linked organisations are applying its hardware and models to satellite operations, public services, retail, research and robotics. The projects range from systems already in use to platforms being launched and hardware planned for 2028.
technology
Google Research has published a preprint outlining Project Suncatcher, a proposed network of solar-powered satellites carrying TPUs for machine-learning computing in orbit. Its early work includes a bench-scale optical-link demonstration, satellite-formation modelling and radiation testing of a TPU.
technology
Google says a Project Suncatcher prototype will carry Tensor Processing Units on a SpaceX Transporter-18 rideshare to collect data on how they handle spaceflight. The test is an early step towards the company’s proposed satellite clusters for AI computing.
technology
Google Research says its work with Muon Space and the Earth Fire Alliance’s FireSat programme is developing an AI-assisted satellite system to detect wildfires as small as 5 by 5 metres. The planned constellation aims to image the entire Earth every 20 minutes once fully deployed, with full operational capacity expected around 2030.
technology
ESA has awarded ICEYE and Leonardo contracts to lead parallel architecture studies for the European Union’s future Earth Observation Governmental Service. The Commission-funded work will examine the full system, from satellites and sensors to data processing, distribution and governance.
technology
The U.S. Air Force says the Space Force has on-orbit space-control weapons capable of defending joint forces against hostile action. The disclosure came alongside plans for autonomous aircraft, distributed satellite constellations and faster military acquisition.
science
NASA and European partners are using the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and Sentinel-6B satellites to measure sea level, waves and atmospheric conditions during El Niño. The observations are being prepared for hurricane forecasting models that estimate how quickly storms may intensify.
science
NASA says Sentinel-6B and Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich are measuring ocean height, waves, marine winds and atmospheric properties during El Niño. The observations are intended to improve understanding of storm-fuelling ocean conditions and support hurricane-intensity forecasting, although a quantified forecasting improvement has not yet been reported.
science
ESA expects to launch the FLEX photosynthesis mission and Copernicus Sentinel-3C together on Vega-C flight VV30 from French Guiana on 14 September 2026.