Google launches Project Suncatcher: 4 processors test running Gemini in orbit
scientificamerican · reddit · 2026-10-02
Google's Project Suncatcher has launched AI processors into orbit aboard a SpaceX rocket to test the space-data-center idea. The test satellite carries just four processors, running Gemini models for 15 minutes at a stretch before needing to shut down and cool off — far from an orbital data center. The end goal is constellations of thousands of satellites sharing AI inference workloads and beaming responses back to Earth. The push comes as AI's electricity appetite strains ground communities, with SpaceX's IPO also pitching orbital data centers as a core value proposition.
Related event: Google's Project Suncatcher Launches AI Processors Into Orbit(2 posts)→
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