On 1 October 2026, SpaceX launched into orbit the first prototype of a Google satellite with AI chips. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Base in California as part of the Transporter-18 mission.
The satellite, named MVP, is roughly the size of a refrigerator. On board are four Google tensor processing units (TPUs) — the same chips used in the company's ground-based data centers.
The Suncatcher project aims to test the feasibility of placing computing power for AI in space. The satellite's solar panels generate about one kilowatt of energy — enough to operate the chips and process simple Gemini queries.
In space, the chips will face radiation, temperature swings and the absence of conventional cooling. Google has already tested the TPUs on Earth under conditions simulating cosmic radiation, and will now verify them in real conditions.
The satellite is built on a platform from the company Planet Labs. Initially Google planned to launch two of its own spacecraft in 2027, but it accelerated the tests by integrating the chips into a ready-made satellite.
In the future the company is considering creating entire constellations of dozens of satellites linked by laser communication channels. For now, though, MVP will operate only briefly — for a few minutes per session — and transmit data to Earth.
One of the questions that remains to be resolved: how effectively heat can be removed from powerful processors in a vacuum using heat pipes and radiators.
The satellite is designed for a year of active operation, though it may remain in orbit for up to six years before burning up in the atmosphere. Google emphasizes that this is only an early experiment, and that full-fledged orbital data centers are still a long way off.
Astronomers are already voicing concerns about a possible increase in light pollution of the sky from future constellations.
