Google Sends AI Chips into Orbit Next Week Amid Growing Orbital Computing Competition

Google is set to launch a prototype satellite next week as part of its Project Suncatcher, an effort to explore space-based AI computing. The mission will test Google's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) in orbit, examining how they handle radiation, thermal extremes, and the physical stresses of spaceflight.

The satellite will launch on SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare mission on October 1, in partnership with Planet. This is a key step towards developing large-scale machine learning infrastructure in space, according to Google.

Google has already subjected its Trillium TPUs to simulated launch vibrations and proton-beam radiation testing, and the chips have shown they can survive radiation levels greater than those expected during a five-year space mission. However, operating AI chips in space creates unique engineering challenges, including cooling systems that rely on airflow which does not exist in a vacuum.

Google is also planning to test satellite-to-satellite laser communications in 2027, when two satellites are expected to launch. This will be critical for connecting future orbital computing systems and moving AI workloads between satellites.