Google will launch its first space-based AI computing experimental satellite on October 1, equipped with four TPUs running Gemini.

According to TechStartups, Google plans to launch the first experimental satellite for Project Suncatcher on October 1 to test the feasibility of operating AI computing infrastructure in space. Approximately the size of a refrigerator, the satellite will carry four Google TPUs to run Gemini workloads in low Earth orbit hundreds of miles above Earth. It will be deployed on the Transporter-18 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Partnering with satellite company Planet, Google will deploy AI hardware on an existing satellite platform, advancing the first in-orbit hardware test originally scheduled for 2027 by several months. The satellite's solar array is expected to provide approximately 1 kilowatt of power. Due to thermal dissipation limitations in space, the TPUs can currently run Gemini workloads for only about 15 minutes per session before requiring a pause to allow the thermal management system to recover. Google has previously conducted vibration and radiation testing on the Trillium TPU, and plans to explore building large-scale space-based AI computing clusters in the future using solar-powered satellites, TPUs, and high-speed optical communications.