A prototype probe designed in partnership with Planet Labs will deploy aboard a SpaceX rocket to verify if customized hardware remains stable in a vacuum. Google will launch the Project Suncatcher satellite on October 1 using a Falcon 9 rocket to determine if its Tensor Processing Units can reliably process basic Gemini AI queries from orbit. The device carries four of these AI chips and will operate for one year, marking the first move by a Big Tech company to establish computing facilities in space.

The company intends to scale the initiative with two additional launches in 2027 and the eventual deployment of a networked fleet of more than 80 satellites flying in close formation. Future plans include a custom satellite the length of a soccer field to handle larger AI workloads, with Google projecting that orbital data centers could reach cost-parity with terrestrial facilities by the mid-2030s. Current prototypes face a thermal bottleneck, restricting chip operation to 15 minutes before requiring a shutdown to cool.