Google’s first experimental data center satellite as part of the Suncatcher project is now operational. The satellite was launched in October, and after several weeks of testing, it has begun communicating with Earth.
On board are four of Google’s AI chips, Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), which are used to run AI models. The satellite can generate up to one kilowatt of electricity, which is enough to keep an AI chip active for about 20 minutes, TechCrunch reports.
In the first test, the AI model Gemma 4 from Google DeepMind was tasked with writing a haiku about life in space. The satellite has also reported on conditions in its orbit.
Google will now test how the chip handles temperatures and radiation in space. If the tests go well, Google plans to launch two more satellites in 2027. The long-term goal is to create a network of satellites capable of performing advanced AI computations.
This article originally appeared on Computer Sweden.