Google puts TPU test in Project Suncatcher orbit

Google has put Project Suncatcher’s first prototype satellite into orbit, beginning an experiment that can run Gemini on its TPUs only in roughly 15-minute bursts. Ars Technica’s account says the cooling system must catch up after each burst, while Google’s immediate goal is to learn how its chips handle radiation, vibration, and thermal extremes. Builders sizing terrestrial AI data-center capacity should file this as option value, not near-term replacement capacity.