Alphabet today launching AI chips into space on SpaceX rocket

Alphabet is set to launch AI chips into space via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Thursday, marking the start of efforts to establish data centers in orbit. The uncrewed Transporter-18 mission, carrying Planet Labs satellites, will be transported into low Earth orbit by the SpaceX rocket. One of these satellites will be a solar-powered prototype featuring Google's tensor processing units, marking the first in-orbit test of Project Suncatcher, an initiative Alphabet first announced in November 2025.

Project Suncatcher aims to investigate the feasibility of deploying machine learning infrastructure in space. Alphabet holds a significant stake in SpaceX, valued at over $82 billion. In low Earth orbit, satellites can harness near-constant sunlight, generating up to eight times more solar power compared to Earth-based systems. The company anticipates linking multiple satellite constellations to manage larger AI workloads within orbit.

While Alphabet has previously tested its tensor processing units at a University of California at Davis facility, the performance of these chips in low Earth orbit conditions remains to be determined. SpaceX plans to construct and launch its own orbital data centers employing satellite swarms, with graphics processing units and solar arrays to be produced by Tesla.

Elon Musk has previously suggested that data centers in space could become the most cost-effective method for training AI within two to three years. SpaceX's Chief Operating Officer, Gwynne Shotwell, announced at a September event that supercompute capabilities would be deployed in space by 2027.