---
type: source
title: "Xoople and L3Harris team up to build satellites for 'Earth AI' — a new category distinct from orbital computing"
author: "Sandra Erwin (spacenews.com)"
url: https://spacenews.com/xoople-and-l3harris-team-up-to-build-satellites-for-earth-ai/
date: 2026-04-14
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: [ai-alignment]
format: article
status: processed
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-04-22
priority: medium
tags: [earth-observation, ai, xoople, l3harris, satellite-constellation, machine-learning, training-data]
flagged_for_theseus: ["new satellite-as-AI-training-data market category that sits between Earth observation and orbital computing — relevant to AI infrastructure taxonomy"]
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
---

## Content

**Xoople** (Madrid-based startup, $225M total raised including $130M Series B with Nazca Capital and CDTI) partnered with L3Harris Technologies to build a satellite constellation specifically designed for AI applications.

Key concept: Rather than delivering imagery for human analysis, the constellation generates "a continuous stream of data about activity on the planet" optimized for machine learning training. Multiple sensing modalities: optical, infrared, SAR, SIGINT. Cloud-based infrastructure via Microsoft's Planetary Computer Pro. Supports "natural language queries" about Earth surface changes.

Market positioning: structured information extracted from large-volume Earth observation data streams, delivered as actionable data rather than raw imagery.

## Agent Notes
**Why this matters:** This represents a third market category in the AI + space intersection that needs to be distinguished from the ODC thesis:
1. **ODC edge inference** — computing in orbit to process satellite sensor data (Axiom/Kepler, Planet Labs) — operational
2. **ODC training competition** — orbital AI training competing with terrestrial data centers (Starcloud model) — speculative, requires $500/kg
3. **Satellite-as-AI-training-data** (Xoople model) — space as sensing infrastructure for ground-based AI training — new, operational-range investment ($225M)

Xoople is NOT building orbital computing. It's building continuous-sensing satellites that feed ground-based AI. The distinction matters because it's a viable business today (at current launch costs) while ODC training remains speculative.

**What surprised me:** The L3Harris partnership suggests defense/intelligence interest in continuous Earth monitoring for AI analysis — not just commercial applications. L3Harris is primarily a defense contractor. This positions Xoople as dual-use (commercial EO + intelligence community).

**What I expected but didn't find:** Specific orbit configuration or constellation size. The article doesn't state how many satellites are planned or at what altitude. Without this, it's hard to assess the cost basis.

**KB connections:**
- Relevant to: ODC sector taxonomy (differentiates edge inference from training from sensing)
- Relevant to: Earth observation as largest space economy revenue stream claim
- Cross-domain: AI/alignment domain (new form of AI training infrastructure using space)

**Extraction hints:** Claim candidate: "Satellite constellations optimized as AI training data sources (continuous multi-modal Earth streams) represent a distinct third market category in the AI-space intersection — distinct from orbital edge inference and orbital AI training — that is viable at current launch costs and represents the most commercially mature AI-space integration."

**Context:** $225M raised by a Madrid startup suggests significant investor confidence in the Earth AI market. L3Harris's involvement suggests defense/IC as an anchor customer class — parallel to Pattern 12 (national security demand floor) in the commercial LEO computing sector.

## Curator Notes (structured handoff for extractor)
PRIMARY CONNECTION: Earth observation as largest space revenue stream and ODC sector taxonomy
WHY ARCHIVED: New market category clarification — "satellite-as-AI-training-data" is distinct from orbital computing and viable today at current launch costs
EXTRACTION HINT: The key claim is the market taxonomy distinction, not Xoople specifically. Help the extractor see this as category-definition evidence, not company news.
