Google announces Project Suncatcher prototype satellite launch to test TPUs in space
Google is launching a prototype satellite on the upcoming SpaceX Transporter-18 rideshare mission to test how Google Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) perform in low Earth orbit conditions including radiation, vibration, and thermal extremes. The mission, developed in partnership with Planet, is part of Project Suncatcher, a long-term research moonshot to explore whether space can host scalable machine learning infrastructure. Future plans include testing laser-based satellite interconnectivity with two satellites...
Key takeaways
Project Suncatcher will launch a prototype satellite on SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare mission in partnership with Planet to test TPU performance in space.
Project Suncatcher was first announced last year and is a long-term research moonshot exploring scalable ML infrastructure in space.
Satellites in low Earth orbit can access near-constant sunlight, generating up to eight times more solar power than on Earth.
Initial ground tests showed Trillium TPUs survived proton beam radiation testing at UC Davis's Crocker Nuclear Laboratory, with results exceeding the total ionizing dose expected during a five-year space mission.
The team tested the TPU cooling system, using heat pipes and radiators, in a thermal vacuum chamber simulating space conditions.
Future satellite designs will carry dozens of TPU chips and communicate via lasers; a two-satellite laser interconnectivity test is planned for 2027.
Rocket launch vibration testing exposed components to forces of 50 to 100 g-force, with the hardware surviving the test.
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