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Google launched a prototype satellite carrying four of its Tensor Processing Units into low Earth orbit on 1 October, the first time it has sent its AI accelerators into space.
The refrigerator-sized spacecraft, built with Planet Labs, flew on SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base as one of around 130 payloads, and was deployed about 61 minutes after liftoff. Google has made contact and is beginning in-orbit testing.
The mission is part of Project Suncatcher, announced in November 2025, which Google describes as a research effort towards solar-powered AI data centres in orbit. It will assess how the TPUs handle the physical stress of spaceflight along with radiation and thermal extremes. The chips will run in 15-minute bursts to avoid straining the satellite's power and thermal management systems.
2 reports filed for Friday 2 October 2026, compiled from company statements, registry filings and StartupFox reporting. Figures marked reported were not confirmed by the companies named.
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