Google in talks with SpaceX to launch orbital data centers as Project Suncatcher takes shape!

Google is in advanced discussions with SpaceX over a rocket-launch deal that would put the tech giant's computing hardware into orbit, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The partnership would be a notable pairing: the two companies are simultaneously preparing to compete in the emerging orbital data center market.

The talks sit inside Google's broader Project Suncatcher initiative, which targets prototype satellite launches by 2027 in collaboration with Planet Labs. CEO Sundar Pichai has outlined the roadmap as starting with small racks of computing machines aboard satellites, with the ambition to scale the infrastructure over time.

For SpaceX, a Google deal carries its own strategic weight — orbital compute has become a centerpiece of the company's investor pitch ahead of what is expected to be one of the largest IPOs in history this summer. Google is also speaking with other…