Google’s October 1 launch of the small MVP satellite under Project Suncatcher—carrying just four TPUs on a SpaceX rocket—marks the first major in-orbit test of AI hardware, validating basic survival in radiation and vacuum but falling well short of the 100-accelerator threshold needed for market resolution. Starcloud’s earlier single-GPU flights and filings from SpaceX and Blue Origin highlight growing competition for solar-powered orbital clusters, yet scaling to qualifying size faces steep hurdles in cooling, laser interconnects, launch cadence, and cost. Google plans two follow-on satellites in 2027 while rivals target larger demonstrations later in the decade, keeping timelines uncertain despite recent momentum.