Google Project Suncatcher: ML in space
The gist
Google will launch a prototype satellite with four Tensor Processing Units on October 1, 2026.
The test probes whether AI compute can run in orbit.
How it unfolded
- Nov 2025Project Suncatcher is announced as a Google research initiative to test AI computing infrastructure in space.
- Sep 24, 2026Google confirms the project is moving from lab paperwork to a launchpad and publishes a blog post shifting from design research to its first in-orbit hardware test.
- Oct 1, 2026A prototype satellite carrying four of Google's custom Tensor Processing Units is scheduled to lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Transporter-18 rideshare mission.