Google launches prototype satellite carrying a TPU for Project Suncatcher; publishes peer‑reviewed orbital data‑center paper
Google sent a prototype satellite built by Planet Labs into orbit on a SpaceX launch, marking the first time the company has flown one of its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) for in‑space testing; the satellite will run the TPU in short bursts to validate power, cooling, and inference reliability. Google also released a peer‑reviewed Joule paper analyzing the feasibility and launch-cost assumptions for orbital data centers, arguing that reaching roughly $200/kg launch costs would require Starship to carry on the order of 370,000 tons to orbit—an amount the paper equates to roughly 1,800 Starship launches over the next decade under certain assumptions.