Google will launch the first experimental satellite of Project Suncatcher on 1 October, in an initiative designed to test the use of space to host computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence. The satellite, designated MVP, will be placed in orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during the Transporter-18 mission, launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States.
Project Suncatcher was announced by Google in November 2025 and explores the possibility of building AI data centres in low Earth orbit in the future. The company argues that space offers an energy advantage, as solar panels in orbit can receive sunlight for longer periods than those on the Earth’s surface.
The MVP launch has been brought forward from the originally scheduled timeline. Google had announced a partnership with Planet Labs — the US-based satellite imagery and AI company that captures images of the entire Earth’s surface daily — to launch two prototype satellites in 2027, but decided to place the first unit in orbit this year. The satellites planned for 2027 remain on schedule and are expected to test, among other aspects, laser communication between equipment in orbit.
The MVP satellite will carry four of Google’s tensor processing units (TPUs), used in artificial intelligence applications. Together, the processors will have a computing capacity equivalent to that of a single server in a data centre. The solar panels are expected to generate approximately one kilowatt of power, sufficient to run simple tasks related to Gemini, Google’s AI system.
One of the initiative’s primary technical challenges relates to heat management. Because space does not allow the use of fans to dissipate heat through air, Google has developed a cooling system that channels thermal energy from the chips through interface materials, aluminium, and copper to a radiator panel. According to the company, the processors will be able to run for approximately 15 minutes before requiring a cooling pause.
Google subjected the components to tests designed to evaluate their resistance to launch conditions and the space environment. The equipment was exposed to intense vibrations, and the processors were tested for radiation resistance. According to the company, the Trillium TPUs withstood radiation levels above those projected for a five-year mission.
Despite accelerating the launch, Google maintains measured expectations regarding the project’s outcomes. The company estimates that orbital data centres will only become competitive with ground-based infrastructure from the mid-2030s onwards, primarily owing to the anticipated reduction in launch costs.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=547782
