Space

Google sent four of its AI chips into orbit on October 1, 2026, as the first flight of Project Suncatcher — a year-long mission testing whether AI data centers could one day run in space. The prototype, built with Planet Labs, will run its TPUs in short bursts while researchers watch how the hardware handles radiation and vacuum conditions. Sources: CNBC via ChosunBiz; Google Research blog via GCN.com; RocketNews; Bytevyte, October 2026. ...

Google launched the first prototype satellite for Project Suncatcher on October 1, 2026 — a fridge-size spacecraft built with Planet Labs that carries four Google TPU AI chips into orbit on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The test will run short Gemini workloads in space and study how the chips handle radiation, extreme temperatures, and cooling in a vacuum. Full story in slides above. Sources: Reuters, The New York Times, Gadgets Now, Memeburn (October 1, 2026). ...

SpaceX is targeting Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 for Starship Flight 14 — the first planned orbital flight of the 408-foot rocket, launching from Starbase in South Texas with a 75-minute window opening at 8:15 a.m. ET. Full story in slides above — Sources: USA Today, Florida Today, TeslaNorth, IBTimes, September 27, 2026.