Google Puts AI Computing in Space with Project Suncatcher

Google is taking its artificial intelligence (AI) computing capabilities to new heights, literally. The tech giant plans to launch a small AI satellite, called MVP, on October 1 as part of Project Suncatcher. This test will assess how Google's chips perform in space.

The satellite will be carried by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and equipped with four tensor processing units (TPUs). According to Google, this setup delivers roughly the same computing power as a single data center server.

For power, the satellite will rely on solar panels generating one kilowatt of energy. The company estimates that the satellite can handle simple AI queries for about a year, while the spacecraft is designed to remain in orbit for six years before re-entering the atmosphere.

Before launch, Google tested its chips for radiation exposure at Crocker Nuclear Laboratory to mitigate the risk of 'bit flips,' which change binary values inside computer chips and disrupt their operation. If errors occur, the system can be restarted.