Google sends AI chip into space with SpaceX
The trial will determine whether Google's Tensor Processing Units can function in orbit around the Earth.
Google has sent a prototype for Project Suncatcher into orbit around the Earth on a SpaceX rocket. For now, the test is not about a fully fledged data centre, but about whether AI chips can withstand radiation, vibrations and cooling conditions in space.
The prototype travelled aboard SpaceX's Transporter-18 mission, launched from the Vandenberg base in California, United States. According to SpaceX, the mission carried 130 payloads. The official mission page lists Project Suncatcher M1 as one of the satellites to be deployed during the flight.
Google calls the satellite an initial practical test of a much larger research plan. The company is investigating whether computing power for artificial intelligence could eventually be placed in orbit around the Earth. The first satellite is primarily intended to provide data on how Google's Tensor Processing Units behave there.
The chips must withstand severe vibrations and acceleration during launch. They will then face cosmic radiation and solar radiation. Google says it has already conducted ground tests involving vibrations and proton radiation, but stresses that some conditions can only be tested in a real orbit around the Earth.
Cooling is a second technical problem. In a vacuum, there is no air to carry heat away. Google is therefore working with heat pipes and radiators that radiate heat into the surroundings. The company has tested that system in a vacuum chamber, but the satellite must show how it works in practice.
The plan is part of a multi-year roadmap. Google wants to test two satellites in 2027 that can exchange data through laser links. A future constellation could consist of many satellites jointly carrying out AI computations. That remains a research objective, not an operational service.
Google points out that solar panels in low Earth orbit can receive sunlight almost continuously. According to the company, this can produce more energy under certain conditions than solar panels on Earth. Set against that are the costs and technical risks of launching, maintaining and cooling the system.
The launch therefore proves only that an initial prototype has been sent into space. Whether the chips function over the long term, how much computing they can perform and whether a commercial constellation will be affordable must emerge from later measurements. Independent data on performance are not yet available.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The factual description is based on official project information from Google and SpaceX, as well as independent reporting on the launch. Claims about future commercial feasibility are clearly presented as plans or uncertainties.
- confirmed Project Suncatcher was launched with SpaceX's Transporter-18 mission. — Confirmed by the SpaceX mission page and independent reporting. source
- confirmed The mission carried 130 payloads. — Mentioned on SpaceX's official Transporter-18 page. source
- confirmed Google is testing the radiation, vibration and cooling performance of Tensor Processing Units. — Described in Google's own project update. source
- confirmed A future test involving two satellites and laser links is scheduled for 2027. — Google describes this as the next step in the project. source
- confirmed A commercial AI constellation in space has not yet been demonstrated. — The sources consulted describe a research and testing programme, not an operational service. source
Editor's note
The launch and the technical objectives have been confirmed by Google, SpaceX and El País. The feasibility of large-scale AI data centres in space remains a company objective and has not been independently demonstrated.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „google project suncatcher”
- FD — „google project suncatcher”
- Trouw — „google project suncatcher”