# Our Project Suncatcher prototype satellite is in orbit.

Date: 1 Oct 2026
Released by: Google

## MediaRelease.co Summary

Google’s Project Suncatcher prototype satellite, built with Planet, launched into orbit aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The team confirmed contact and that the satellite is operating as expected. The flight is a first step toward exploring scalable machine learning infrastructure in space and will gather in-orbit data on how TPUs handle stress, radiation, and thermal extremes. A peer-reviewed paper on the research is available in Joule.

## Original release

Today, our prototype satellite for Project Suncatcher, built in partnership with Planet, launched into orbit aboard the Transporter-18 rideshare mission with SpaceX. Our team has confirmed contact with the satellite and it is operating as expected. This is the first step in a long-term research moonshot exploring whether space could one day host scalable machine learning infrastructure. Over the coming weeks, we'll gather in-orbit data on how our TPUs handle the physical stress of spaceflight and the radiation and thermal extremes of space. Our peer-reviewed paper is now available in Joule , detailing the research behind this mission. Some things can only be tested in space. As we begin our experiments, we'll use what we learn to refine our designs, and we're excited to share more as the mission unfolds.

## Key details

- Issued by: Google
- Published: 1 Oct 2026
- Publisher country: United States
- Subject country/region: United States
- Topics: AI
- Original source: https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/google-research/project-suncatcher-prototype/
- MediaRelease.co URL: https://mediarelease.co/us/mr01148-project-suncatcher-prototype-orbit-01102026.html

Original source: https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/google-research/project-suncatcher-prototype/
MediaRelease.co canonical URL: https://mediarelease.co/us/mr01148-project-suncatcher-prototype-orbit-01102026.html