Google announced Project Suncatcher, an initiative exploring whether AI compute can run on solar-powered satellite constellations carrying its custom TPU chips. A prototype satellite built with Planet Labs and carrying four Trillium TPUs is scheduled to launch October 1, 2026 on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission into sun-synchronous low Earth orbit. The test will measure how the chips withstand launch stress, radiation, and orbital temperature extremes, and will validate cooling and laser-interlink technology intended for future multi-satellite compute clusters.
