SpaceX launched Google’s artificial intelligence chips into orbit on Thursday as the companies began testing technology that could eventually support data centres in space.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Google’s prototype satellite lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as part of the Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The satellite carries Google’s Tensor Processing Units, or TPUs, and is designed to test how the chips perform under the physical conditions of space.
The mission is part of Google’s Project Suncatcher, an initiative exploring whether low Earth orbit could eventually host large-scale computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence. Google said satellites in orbit could have access to near-constant sunlight, potentially generating up to eight times more solar power than on Earth.
The initial mission is primarily a technology test rather than a commercial data centre. Google is examining how its AI chips respond to radiation, launch stresses and extreme temperatures, while also testing systems for removing the substantial heat generated by the processors in the vacuum of space.
Cooling is one of the biggest engineering challenges. Unlike terrestrial data centres, orbital systems cannot rely on air circulation to dissipate heat. Google is testing heat pipes and radiators that can transfer heat from the chips and release it into space.
Google plans to test four TPUs on the prototype satellite, with the processors running AI workloads including Gemini models. Because of the limitations of the experimental cooling system, the chips will operate in short intervals before being shut down to allow the system to cool.
The company plans to launch two additional satellites in 2027 to test high-bandwidth laser communications. Future versions of the system could involve clusters of satellites carrying dozens of AI chips each and communicating with one another through laser links.
SpaceX is pursuing a similar concept. The company has outlined plans for orbital computing infrastructure, arguing that space-based systems could reduce some of the constraints facing terrestrial data centres, particularly access to electricity and grid connections.
SpaceX has said solar-powered orbital computing could eventually provide continuous access to energy while its reusable launch systems lower the cost of deploying computing hardware. The company also expects its Starlink network to provide connectivity between orbital computing clusters and users on Earth.
The push comes as the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence drives demand for computing capacity and electricity. Technology companies are investing heavily in new data centres, while orbital computing is being explored as a potential way to overcome some of the land, power and infrastructure constraints faced by conventional facilities.
For now, however, Google’s mission remains an early experiment. The company says the first test is intended to identify technical problems and determine whether its hardware can operate reliably in orbit before larger-scale deployments are considered.
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