Google is reportedly preparing to send a small batch of its AI chips into orbit in the near future, putting data-centre hardware through its paces in the first real test in space.
The prototype for Project Suncatcher is due to launch aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission, according to a blog by Travis Beals, Google’s senior director for Paradigms of Intelligence.
Built by Planet Labs, the satellite carries the same type of tensor processing units (TPUs) Google uses in data centres on Earth. The company will track how the chips cope with radiation, the vibration of launch and the difficulty of shedding heat in a vacuum.
The mission is intended to expose weak points and show whether its existing hardware can work reliably in low-Earth orbit.
Project Suncatcher, unveiled in November 2025, is exploring whether fleets of solar-powered satellites could eventually handle large AI workloads. Google estimates panels in orbit could generate up to eight times more power than those on Earth because they receive near-constant sunlight.
The next test is planned for 2027, when Google and Planet intend to launch two satellites and try the high-bandwidth laser links needed to connect groups of TPUs.
Heat is one of the main engineering problems to solve. With no airflow in space, the chips must rely on heat pipes and radiators. High launch costs, limited satellite production and questions over long-term reliability also leave commercial deployment some way off.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: Google
Source: Tahawul Tech