Google’s new test satellite is working and talking to Earth. It went into space earlier in October on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite is part of Project Suncatcher. Google wants to use this project to test AI computers in space.
Engineers checked the satellite’s systems for about three weeks. Then they asked its AI model, Gemma 4, to write a short poem about being in space. The model answered their request. Google also asked it for information about conditions around the satellite.
The satellite carries four special computer chips for AI. But it can only run one chip at a time, for about 20 minutes. Its power supply limits how long the chip can work. The satellite can make up to 1,000 watts of electricity.
Google will test how the chips work with heat and radiation in space. Radiation can change information inside computer memory. If the chips work well, Google plans to send two more satellites in 2027. They will make more electricity and use light to send information to each other.
