Google is preparing to launch its first Project Suncatcher satellite on October 1. The prototype, named MVP, will be carried into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of a larger payload.
The satellite is approximately the size of a refrigerator and contains four custom Google TPU accelerators. The hardware was developed in partnership with Planet Labs PBC to test the performance of chips in space.
The mission aims to evaluate how TPUs withstand launch vibrations and cosmic radiation. Google previously tested its Trillium TPUs at the University of California at Davis by exposing them to proton beams.
Thermal management remains a key challenge due to the vacuum of space. The current cooling system allows the chips to operate only in 15-minute bursts before requiring a shutdown to dissipate heat.
Google intends to use this data to develop a future constellation of orbital AI data centers. The company plans to launch two additional satellites next year to test high-speed laser communications.
