Data Centers In Space? + Planet Labs CEO Talks ‘Large Earth Models’ | The Spillover

Why It Matters

Planet’s daily global imagery, amplified by AI, is reshaping security, sustainability and market decisions, while the prospect of space‑based supercomputers introduces new economic and geopolitical challenges.

Key Takeaways

• Planet Labs uses miniaturized satellite tech to image Earth daily.
• AI accelerates satellite data value for transparency and decision‑making.
• Space‑based data helped detect Belarus‑Ukraine bridge before invasion.
• Launch cost drops matter less than electronics miniaturization for boom.
• Future may see space‑borne supercomputers, raising junk and conflict risks.

Summary

The Spillover episode features Planet Labs co‑founder Will Marshall discussing how his company’s constellation of small satellites delivers daily, high‑resolution images of the entire planet and why that data is becoming a cornerstone of modern AI‑driven decision‑making.

Marshall explains that the recent space boom is driven less by cheaper rockets and more by the Moore‑law‑style miniaturization of consumer‑grade electronics, which shrank satellite costs from hundreds of millions to a few hundred dollars per kilogram. Planet now streams roughly 30 terabytes of imagery each day, and AI tools are turning that raw feed into actionable insights for governments, insurers, NGOs and hedge funds.

A vivid example he cites is the detection of a pontoon bridge on the Belarus‑Ukraine border on Valentine’s Day 2022, giving analysts early warning of Russian troop movements. He also notes that most climate and weather models still rely on space‑borne sensors, and that the iconic “Blue Marble” photo sparked the modern environmental movement.

As satellite data becomes embedded in the global decision loop, Marshall warns that the next frontier—space‑based supercomputers for AI—could generate unprecedented spillovers, from increased orbital debris to new geopolitical friction, making planetary intelligence both an opportunity and a strategic risk.

Original Description

AI and satellite imagery are quickly converging to create “planetary intelligence,” a new generation of systems capable of capturing and analyzing images of Earth in real time. This episode explores how the AI infrastructure race could move into orbit, with space-based data centers, falling launch costs, and “large Earth models” potentially transforming the global economy, geopolitics, and the future of artificial intelligence itself.

Host:

Sebastian Mallaby, Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) - https://www.cfr.org/experts/sebastian-mallaby

Guest:

Will Marshall, CEO and Cofounder, Planet Labs - https://investors.planet.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=f7006907-5951-46a9-abf9-ee5a2bc7ccd9

We discuss:

1. How AI could transform the space economy more profoundly than the invention of the internet, and potentially move the world’s supercomputers off Earth entirely.

2. Why Planet Labs founder Will Marshall believes satellites and AI are converging into what he calls “planetary intelligence.”

3. Why the real driver of the space boom wasn’t just rocket technology, but the smartphone revolution and the miniaturization of electronics.

4. How commercial satellite imagery exposed Russia’s invasion buildup before the war in Ukraine, including the discovery of a pontoon bridge on the Belarus border.

5. Why AI is making satellite data dramatically more valuable by allowing models to analyze satellite images in real time rather than having to send individual images back to Earth.

6. Whether orbital compute infrastructure could expand the space economy by a factor of ten, and reshape the balance of geopolitical and corporate power.

7. The idea of “large Earth models”—AI systems trained not on the text of the internet, but on continuous visual data from the physical world.

8. Why tech leaders increasingly believe AI data centers could move into orbit, powered by uninterrupted solar energy in space.

9. How falling launch costs from companies like SpaceX could make space-based computing economically viable within the next decade.

Mentioned on the Episode:

“Planet Successfully Runs AI in Space,” Planet - https://investors.planet.com/news/news-details/2026/Planet-Successfully-Runs-AI-in-Space/

“Thales Alenia Space Reveals Results of ASCEND Feasibility Study On Space Data Centers,” Thales Alenia Space - https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/en/press-releases/thales-alenia-space-reveals-results-ascend-feasibility-study-space-data-centers-0

“Is AI Putting Graduates Out of Work Already?,” The Economist - https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/05/13/is-ai-putting-graduates-out-of-work-already

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The Spillover is a production of the Council on Foreign Relations. The opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the hosts and guests, not of the Council, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.