Key facts
- Google will launch a prototype satellite next week to test AI chips in space.
- The mission is part of Google's research effort, Project Suncatcher.
- The satellite will carry Google Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) into low Earth orbit.
- The test aims to assess how AI chips withstand launch forces, radiation, and extreme temperatures in space.
- Google will also evaluate its design for cooling power-intensive chips in a vacuum.
- Future plans include launching two satellites in 2027 to test high-bandwidth laser links.
Alphabet's Google is set to launch a prototype satellite next week as part of its Project Suncatcher initiative, marking its first in-orbit test of artificial intelligence chips. The research aims to determine if space can host large-scale AI computing infrastructure, addressing terrestrial limitations on electricity supply by potentially harnessing near-continuous sunlight.
The mission, scheduled to fly on SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare launch in collaboration with satellite company Planet Labs, will evaluate how Google's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) endure the harsh conditions of low Earth orbit, including launch forces, radiation, and extreme temperatures. Space radiation is known to disrupt electronics, causing errors like bit flips.
While Google has previously tested its TPUs with AI workloads in a controlled facility, orbital testing is deemed necessary to understand real-world performance. The company will also assess its cooling design, which combines heat pipes with radiators to manage the heat generated by power-intensive chips in the vacuum of space where conventional airflow cooling is not possible.
Experts suggest that the commercial viability of orbital data centers is still years away due to high launch costs, engineering challenges, and satellite production bottlenecks. The initial Suncatcher mission is focused on collecting in-orbit data and identifying potential failure points, rather than demonstrating an operational data center. Google plans to launch two more satellites in 2027 to test the high-bandwidth laser links required for future computing clusters.