Google Deploys AI Chips to Orbit in Space Data Center Experiment

Google launched four Trillium tensor processing units (TPUs) into low Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on October 1, 2026, marking the first orbital test of Project Suncatcher, an experimental platform designed to determine whether space-based solar power can sustain AI inference workloads. The satellite, built by Planet Labs and carrying Google's custom chips, represents a moonshot bet that orbital infrastructure could eventually supplement terrestrial data centers by exploiting continuous sunlight and unlimited radiative cooling.