RESEARCH · RESEARCH · #1391
Project Suncatcher prototype satellite with TPUs launched on SpaceX Transporter-18
A prototype satellite for Project Suncatcher, built in partnership with Planet, launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare; mission operators have confirmed contact and normal operation. The mission will collect in-orbit data on how TPUs withstand spaceflight stresses, and a peer-reviewed paper describing the research is published in Joule.
KEY POINTS
- A prototype satellite for Project Suncatcher, built in partnership with Planet, launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare; mission operators have confirmed contact and normal operation.
- The mission will collect in-orbit data on how TPUs withstand spaceflight stresses, and a peer-reviewed paper describing the research is published in Joule.
- This is an initial in-orbit test of TPUs and related hardware to evaluate feasibility of hosting scalable machine-learning infrastructure in space.
WHY IT MATTERS
This is an initial in-orbit test of TPUs and related hardware to evaluate feasibility of hosting scalable machine-learning infrastructure in space.