New Delhi, September 25: Google is preparing to test whether its artificial intelligence hardware can operate in space, as the company explores the possibility of building AI computing infrastructure in orbit. As part of its early-stage Project Suncatcher, Google plans to send a prototype satellite carrying its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) into low Earth orbit. The initial mission is scheduled to fly aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission, with Planet Labs also involved.
The test will allow Google to study whether its AI hardware can withstand conditions in space, including launch vibrations, radiation and extreme temperatures. The company has already conducted ground-based testing to assess how its chips could perform in orbit.
According to Google, its Trillium TPUs were exposed to radiation at the University of California, Davis’ Crocker Nuclear Laboratory. Initial results showed that the chips could withstand a radiation dose exceeding what they would encounter during a five-year mission.
Cooling the hardware is another challenge Google is looking to address. Unlike conventional data centres, spacecraft cannot rely on airflow to remove heat. The company is therefore testing a thermal system that uses heat pipes and radiators to manage the heat generated by the TPUs. Google, however, describes Project Suncatcher as an early-stage experiment rather than an operational orbital data centre.
The company’s longer-term concept involves groups of satellites carrying multiple TPU chips and communicating with each other through high-bandwidth laser links. Google plans to test this part of the concept with two satellites in 2027. The idea is based on the possibility of using space-based infrastructure to support AI computing. However, the company is still testing whether the technology can work reliably in the challenging conditions of space.
Google is not the only company exploring the idea of moving computing infrastructure beyond Earth. Other companies, including Blue Origin, Sarvam and Starcloud, are also working on different concepts involving computing infrastructure in orbit or around the Moon.
Project Suncatcher remains at an experimental stage, with Google using its upcoming mission to study the technical challenges involved before pursuing its larger vision for AI computing in space.
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