Google plans first orbital AI chip test for Project Suncatcher

Google announced on September 24, 2026, that Project Suncatcher’s first prototype satellite was scheduled to fly on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission. The company says the mission will test its AI chips and a new cooling system in orbit, gathering data to explore whether space could one day host scalable machine learning infrastructure. Google also plans to put two satellites in orbit in 2027 to test laser communications between them.