Google books Suncatcher TPU satellite on SpaceX Transporter-18

Google said on September 24 that Project Suncatcher's first prototype satellite, built with Planet, will fly on SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare to test how Trillium TPUs handle launch vibration, radiation and vacuum cooling. Ground tests at UC Davis showed the chips can survive a radiation dose greater than a five-year mission, and a 2027 follow-on will put two satellites in orbit to test high-bandwidth laser links. Space.com reported Transporter-18 is currently scheduled for October 1; Google described the flight as coming next week and did not itself publish that date. Planet is untracked.