Google will launch a prototype satellite next week to test its Tensor Processing Units in orbit under Project Suncatcher, a research programme exploring whether space could one day host scalable AI computing infrastructure. The mission will fly on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare launch in partnership with Planet, and will focus on whether the hardware can survive launch stress and low-Earth-orbit conditions rather than operate as a working orbital data centre.
The first satellite is designed to gather engineering data on radiation, thermal extremes and vibration, helping Google assess how its chips perform in space. The project remains exploratory rather than commercial, with the company treating the flight as a precursor to later development rather than a near-term deployment.
A second step is already planned for 2027, when Google intends to send up two satellites to test high-bandwidth laser links between spacecraft. Those links would be a key requirement for any future constellation built around distributed AI workloads in orbit.