Google tests Gemma 4 AI model aboard orbiting satellite
The experimental Project Suncatcher satellite returned a space-themed poem to Earth. Further tests will examine how its chips withstand heat and radiation.
Google said its Gemma 4 artificial intelligence model generated a poem aboard an orbiting satellite and sent it back to Earth, completing an initial computing test for its experimental Project Suncatcher initiative.
The company said it activated the satellite’s TPUs and asked the onboard model to compose a haiku about being in space. Additional prompts requested other space-themed poetry and telemetry reporting the condition of the satellite’s systems.
The prototype launched on October 1. Google began using it for machine learning tasks after checking the spacecraft and switching on its computing hardware. Project Suncatcher is investigating whether AI data centers could operate in orbit.
Google said upcoming tests will assess the TPUs’ response to heat and radiation to determine whether they can perform AI tasks reliably in space. If those checks succeed, the company plans a 2027 launch of two satellites connected to each other. The project remains experimental.
