Google’s tensor processing units (TPUs) are headed for low Earth orbit. The chips will fly aboard a prototype satellite on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission, which Google is running with satellite company Planet Labs, Reuters reports.
The goal is to find out whether the AI chips can run reliably in orbit. Google will track how the hardware copes with the stress of launch, cosmic radiation, and extreme temperatures. Radiation can make electronics misbehave, including so-called bit flips, where values in data change unexpectedly.
Google has already tested its TPUs under AI workloads at a University of California, Davis facility. But the company believes only a real flight can show how the hardware behaves in space itself.
Cooling is another focus. There’s no air in a vacuum, so conventional air cooling is off the table. Instead, Google will pair heat pipes with radiators.
Follow Mediasat on Google News: the latest in TV, telecom and tech
The launch will be the first orbital test for Project Suncatcher, which Google unveiled in November 2025. Next, the team plans to study whether large-scale AI computing can be deployed in orbit. Potential upsides include access to sunlight most of the time and freedom from power constraints on the ground.
In May 2026, Google held talks with SpaceX and other operators about launching orbital data centers. Experts note, however, that the technology still faces high launch costs, engineering constraints, and the challenge of mass-producing satellites.
