Google to test AI computing in Space

Google, owned by Alphabet, announced Thursday that it will launch a prototype satellite next week, marking the first test in Earth orbit of Project Suncatcher, a research initiative designed to determine whether space could host large-scale AI-based computing infrastructure, Reuters reports.

Companies such as SpaceX and Starcloud are already pursuing plans to place data centers in low Earth orbit (LEO), aiming to use nearly constant sunlight to power energy-intensive AI computing processes and avoid terrestrial limitations in electricity supply, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

The new mission, scheduled as part of the upcoming Transporter-18 rideshare launch, which will be carried out by SpaceX in partnership with satellite company Planet Labs, will assess how Google-developed AI hardware withstands launch forces, cosmic radiation and extreme temperatures in low Earth orbit.

After launch, a prototype satellite equipped with tensor processing units (TPUs) developed by Google will be placed in low Earth orbit to determine whether the AI chips can operate reliably in space.

Radiation in space can disrupt or even damage electronic components, including by causing data errors known as “bit flips.”

Google said it has already tested its TPUs while running AI workloads at a University of California, Davis research facility, but emphasized the need for tests in Earth orbit to understand how the hardware performs under real-world conditions.

The U.S. company will also evaluate its solution for cooling high-power chips in the vacuum of space, where conventional air-flow cooling is impossible, by combining heat pipes with radiators.

However, experts said the concept is still several years away from becoming commercially viable, given the high cost of space launches, engineering constraints and bottlenecks in satellite production.

Google said the first Project Suncatcher mission is designed to collect data in orbit and identify potential technical challenges, rather than demonstrate a fully operational orbital data center.

The U.S. company plans to launch two satellites in 2027 to test high-bandwidth laser communications needed to connect future computing centers.

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