Google Launches AI Satellite to Test Space-Ready Processors

Google is set to launch an AI satellite into space next week as part of its Project Suncatcher initiative. The satellite, equipped with Google's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on October 1st and will test how well the TPUs can handle the physical stress of spaceflight and radiation.

The goal of the mission is to measure the performance of the TPUs in space, specifically their ability to withstand high levels of g-force and radiation. According to Google, its TPUs can only run for about 15 minutes before they need to be turned off to cool down due to a cooling system involving heat pipes and radiators.

This is just one step towards Google's goal of putting a constellation of chip-equipped satellites into space, an idea that has also been floated by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The company plans to put two satellites into orbit next year as part of its experimental initiative.