Google Launches Satellite Prototype to Harness Space Power for AI
Google is launching a prototype satellite into orbit next week to test its Project Suncatcher initiative, which aims to harness space's abundant solar power for large-scale machine learning systems.
The team behind the project has successfully tested the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) chips that will be used in the satellite, simulating the intense vibrations and acceleration of launch using a lab-based shaking test. The TPU chips can handle radiation from cosmic rays and solar events, withstanding a total ionizing dose greater than what they'd receive during a full five-year mission.
To keep the chips cool in space's vacuum, Google is testing a combination of heat pipes and radiators. Communication between satellites will be via high-bandwidth lasers, which require precise targeting. The team plans to test this setup with two satellites in 2027.
The first launch is focused on identifying what works and where points of failure lie. According to the project team, 'Big breakthroughs happen when you work backwards from an end goal... exploring compute in space begins with measured, deliberate steps.'