---
type: claim
domain: space-development
description: "Earth observation satellites generate 10 GB per second of raw data and processing in orbit transmits only results — Planet Labs and Google Suncatcher target this workload first"
confidence: likely
source: "Astra, space data centers feasibility analysis February 2026; Google Project Suncatcher partnership with Planet Labs"
created: 2026-02-17
depends_on:
  - "space-based computing at datacenter scale is blocked by thermal physics because radiative cooling in vacuum requires surface areas that grow faster than compute density"
  - "the space manufacturing killer app sequence is pharmaceuticals now ZBLAN fiber in 3-5 years and bioprinted organs in 15-25 years each catalyzing the next tier of orbital infrastructure"
---

# On-orbit processing of satellite data is the proven near-term use case for space compute because it avoids bandwidth and thermal bottlenecks simultaneously

The cleanest near-term use case for orbital compute is processing satellite-generated data where it is collected rather than downlinking raw data to terrestrial facilities. Earth observation satellites generate approximately 10 GB/s of synthetic aperture radar data. Transmitting this raw data to ground stations faces severe bandwidth constraints -- satellite-to-ground links are limited, ground station pass windows are brief, and the data volume is enormous. Processing in orbit and transmitting only the results (classifications, detected changes, compressed features) dramatically reduces both the bandwidth requirement and the end-to-end latency from observation to actionable intelligence.

This use case sidesteps every major objection to orbital compute. The thermal problem dissolves because on-orbit processing loads are measured in kilowatts, not megawatts -- a single compute node per satellite or small cluster, well within the thermal management capabilities of current satellite bus designs. The bandwidth problem inverts from constraint to advantage -- instead of needing to move data up to orbit for processing, the data is already there. The latency problem disappears because the alternative (downlink, terrestrial process, uplink results) takes hours, making even modest orbital processing a dramatic improvement.

Planet Labs' partnership with Google for Project Suncatcher explicitly targets this workload first. Axiom Space's orbital data center concept similarly focuses on satellite-proximate processing. This is also the workload that SpaceX's FCC filing implicitly supports through Starlink's optical inter-satellite link mesh.

The strategic importance of this use case goes beyond its direct market size. It establishes orbital compute as a real business with real revenue, validates hardware in the orbital environment, and builds operational experience that de-risks the harder use cases that follow.

## Evidence
- Earth observation satellites generating ~10 GB/s of SAR data
- Planet Labs + Google Project Suncatcher partnership targeting on-orbit processing
- Axiom Space orbital data center concept focused on satellite-proximate processing
- Starcloud Capella Space customer workload demonstrating viable business model

## Challenges
Improved ground station networks and higher-bandwidth satellite-to-ground links may reduce the advantage of on-orbit processing by making raw data downlink more feasible.

---

Relevant Notes:
- [[space-based computing at datacenter scale is blocked by thermal physics because radiative cooling in vacuum requires surface areas that grow faster than compute density]] — on-orbit processing sidesteps this because compute loads per satellite are kilowatts not megawatts
- [[LEO satellite internet is the defining battleground of the space economy with Starlink 5 years ahead and only 3-4 mega-constellations viable]] — Starlink's optical mesh provides the inter-satellite networking for distributed on-orbit processing

Topics:
- [[space exploration and development]]
