Google launches prototype satellite for Project Suncatcher

Google has announced the launch of a prototype satellite for Project Suncatcher, a research moonshot exploring scalable machine learning infrastructure in space.

• The prototype satellite, built in partnership with Planet, launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission and Google says it has confirmed contact with the satellite.
• Google said it will gather in-orbit data over the coming weeks on how its TPUs handle spaceflight stress and the radiation and thermal extremes of space; a peer-reviewed paper is available in Joule.
• This appears to be a first-time announcement of the mission launch and initial operational status, not a recap of an earlier deal.