Project Suncatcher will send an experimental satellite into orbit via a SpaceX rocket on October 1 to evaluate if AI chips can reliably function in space. The satellite is equipped with four Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) and possesses enough computing power to answer simple Gemini queries from orbit during its one year of operation.

Google is currently designing satellite fleets of more than 80 units that would function as a distributed orbital AI data center. The company plans two more launches in 2027 and estimates space-based compute could reach cost parity with terrestrial facilities by the mid-2030s.