Google's Project Suncatcher will test TPUs in orbit on a prototype satellite
AIGoogle's Project Suncatcher will launch a prototype satellite on the Transporter-18 rideshare mission with SpaceX to test how its TPUs handle spaceflight. Initial ground tests showed the Trillium TPUs survived vibration and a radiation dose greater than a five-year space mission would deliver. Google says cooling with heat pipes and radiators and laser links between satellites in 2027 remain open engineering challenges.
Why it matters: The source reports concrete radiation, vibration, and cooling test results for TPUs, showing what space-based AI compute still has to solve.