Research project Google is sending AI chips into space as a test
Data centers require a lot of space and energy. To test whether space could potentially be a suitable location for them, Google wants to send a satellite with its own chips into orbit next week.
Google is taking a first step toward figuring out whether it can build an artificial intelligence infrastructure in space. As part of the research project “Project Suncatcher,” the Internet company is sending four of its AI chips into orbit to test how well they can handle it. Problems could arise in the starting phase because the processors will be exposed to vibrations and forces many times the force of gravity, as Google explained in a blog entry. It was said that the chips withstood the stress in vibration tests on Earth.
Another challenge is the strong radiation outside the Earth's atmosphere, which can disrupt or damage electronic components. In order to simulate their effects, the TPU chips (Tensor Processing Unit) were bombarded with a proton beam in the laboratory. After these tests, people are convinced that the technology can survive the planned five-year use in space data centers: "But some things can only be tested in space."
The satellite with the Google chips is scheduled to launch next week - as one of many on a rocket from Elon Musk's space company SpaceX.
Great expectations for data centers in space
Companies like SpaceX and Starcloud are pursuing plans to build data centers in orbit. Musk points to the possibility that large amounts of solar power could be generated there to operate the systems. The ongoing expansion of ever larger data centers for the operation of artificial intelligence is encountering increasing resistance in the USA and other countries. Simply outsourcing them to space would be a possible solution, following Musk's logic.
At the same time, there are still many open questions about the plans. Google also emphasized this. It was said that cooling was a problem. Data centers generate a lot of heat when operating. And it may be ice cold in space - but without a draft in the vacuum, the heat can only be dissipated via cooling elements, which requires a different approach than on Earth. Among other things, the test aims to explore how the newly designed cooling system works under real conditions in space, explained Google. Experts have said this concept is still years away from commercial viability given high launch costs, technical limitations and satellite production bottlenecks. Another challenge is the transmission of large amounts of data between individual data center satellites that move at high speeds.
According to Google, the first “Suncatcher” mission is primarily intended to collect data in orbit and identify potential sources of error. This is not about demonstrating an operational data center in orbit. Two more satellite launches are already planned for 2027.
The Americans have a new enemy: AI data centers. Resistance to server farms is growing rapidly, and many states are announcing construction freezes: “A mistake,” Trump criticizes, supporting Big Tech. Still. Read more about this here.
