Google looks at SpaceX investment for satellite deployment

Jan. 20, 2015

Google is expected to invest roughly $1 billion in SpaceX, according to reports in The Wall Street Journal and The Information. The goal would be to develop a network of SpaceX satellites that Google could use to provide Internet service to billions of people worldwide who don’t have it.

Last week, SpaceX founder Elon Musk described his plan to deploy a constellation of 700 satellites, which would compete with OneWeb’s planned constellation of 648 satellites. Google is also embarking on Project Loon, which relies on a network of solar-powered balloons floating 12 miles above the surface of the earth to provide Internet access. That project faces political obstacles involving spectrum.

Similar problems could affect a SpaceX satellite constellation. The Wall Street Journal reports that SpaceX isn’t believed to control any radio frequencies.

About the Author

Rick Nelson | Contributing Editor

Rick is currently Contributing Technical Editor. He was Executive Editor for EE in 2011-2018. Previously he served on several publications, including EDN and Vision Systems Design, and has received awards for signed editorials from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. He began as a design engineer at General Electric and Litton Industries and earned a BSEE degree from Penn State.