Google's test satellite answers from orbit with Gemma 4
The Suncatcher satellite carries four TPUs and sent its first reply to Earth after about three weeks of testing.
Google sent a small satellite into space with AI chips inside. It answered a question and sent the answer to Earth. The test is just beginning.
Hype check
Louder than it deserves. The real change is smaller.
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Why it matters
Google is testing whether AI data centers could one day run in orbit on solar power.
Watch: a small step toward data centers in space.
The details
- The satellite launched in October on a Falcon 9 rocket with more than 100 other spacecraft.
- It carries four TPUs and generates up to 1 kW of power.
- Only one TPU runs at a time, for about 20 minutes at a stretch.
- It ran Google DeepMind's Gemma 4 model, and its first reply was a haiku about space.
- If tests go well, Google plans two more satellites in 2027.
Receipts
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