Google is preparing to send a small batch of its artificial intelligence (AI) chips into orbit next week as it tests whether data-centre hardware can operate reliably in space.
The prototype for Project Suncatcher is scheduled to launch aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission, according to a blog post by Travis Beals, Google’s senior director for Paradigms of Intelligence.
Built by Planet Labs, the satellite will carry the same type of tensor processing units (TPUs) that Google uses in its data centres on Earth.
The test will examine how the chips withstand radiation, the vibration of launch and the challenge of removing heat in the vacuum of space.
Google said the mission is designed to identify potential weaknesses and determine whether its existing hardware can operate reliably in low-Earth orbit.
Project Suncatcher, unveiled in November 2025, is exploring whether fleets of solar-powered satellites could eventually be used to process large AI workloads.
According to Google, solar panels in orbit could generate up to eight times more power than panels on Earth because they receive near-constant sunlight.
A further test is planned for 2027, when Google and Planet intend to launch two satellites and test high-bandwidth laser links designed to connect groups of TPUs.
Heat management remains one of the main engineering challenges. Without airflow in space, the chips would have to depend on heat pipes and radiators to remove heat.
Other challenges include high launch costs, limited satellite production capacity and questions about long-term reliability, leaving commercial deployment some way off.
SpaceX and start-ups are also exploring computing in low-Earth orbit as growing demand for AI puts increasing pressure on power grids on Earth.
