[Google to Launch First Space AI Computing Experimental Satellite on October 1, Equipped with 4 TPUs Running Gemini] According to Deep Tide TechFlow, on September 25, TechStartups reported that Google plans to launch the first experimental satellite of Project Suncatcher on October 1 to test the feasibility of AI computing infrastructure operating in space. The satellite, approximately the size of a refrigerator, will be equipped with 4 Google TPUs and will run Gemini workloads in low Earth orbit, hundreds of miles above the ground. The satellite will be launched into orbit aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-18 mission. Google is collaborating with satellite company Planet to deploy AI hardware on an existing satellite platform, advancing the originally planned first in-orbit hardware test from 2027 by several months. The satellite's solar power system is expected to provide approximately 1 kilowatt of electricity. Due to space heat dissipation constraints, the TPUs are currently expected to run Gemini workloads continuously for only about 15 minutes at a time, after which they will need to pause to allow the thermal management system to recover. Google has also previously conducted vibration and radiation tests on Trillium TPUs and plans to explore the development of large-scale space AI computing clusters composed of solar-powered satellites, TPUs, and high-speed optical communication in the future.