🔍 Google puts 4 TPUs in orbit

Project Suncatcher launched on 1 October aboard a SpaceX rocket during Transporter-18. The satellite, built with Planet, carries 4 TPUs. Google confirmed contact and normal operation.

Over the next few weeks, the chips will be tested against radiation and temperature swings. The project studies whether AI computing can scale in orbit.

Solar panels in a suitable orbit can produce up to 8 times more energy than on Earth. Cooling is harder: in a vacuum, TPU heat must leave through heat pipes and radiators.

📊@tech