Google to Launch First Project Suncatcher AI Satellite on Oct. 1

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Alphabet will launch an experimental AI satellite as the first hardware of Project Suncatcher on Oct. 1, months ahead of schedule, according to a New York Times report. The satellite, named MVP, will fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California carrying four Google tensor processing units with roughly the computing power of one data-center server, powered by solar panels delivering about one kilowatt. Google had first said its Suncatcher prototypes with Planet Labs would launch in early 2027, and to accelerate the timeline it installed its chips in a ready-made Planet Labs satellite, accepting added risk; Google, an investor in Planet Labs, still plans to launch a pair of satellites next year and has designs for fleets of more than 80 satellites flying in close formation. The chips can run for about 15 minutes before shutting down to cool, and the satellite is designed to operate for about a year. Google estimates orbital data centers could become cost-competitive with ground facilities by the mid-2030s, though senior vice president for research James Manyika said, "We don't expect, to be perfectly frank, that we'll have anything usefully operational in the next few years."

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Google installed its TPU chips in a ready-made Planet Labs satellite for the accelerated Suncatcher launch, and Planet Labs is Google's partner/investee for the prototype satellites.

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Alphabet is launching its first Project Suncatcher AI satellite (MVP) on Oct. 1, months ahead of schedule, advancing its orbital data-center R&D.

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PL · Technology · Positive Planet Labs launched 20 satellites including Tanager-2 and a Google Suncatcher prototype, and established contact to begin commissioning.
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