Google Sends AI Chips into Space for Orbital Computing Test
Google is pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence computing by launching its AI chips into space for the first time. The mission, called Project Suncatcher, aims to test whether Google's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) can survive and operate in the harsh conditions of space.
The prototype satellite carrying TPUs will fly aboard SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare mission next week. According to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google, 'Can our TPUs survive and operate in space? Well, we're going to find out.'
Project Suncatcher is not a commercial venture but rather a long-term research effort to explore the possibility of moving large-scale AI computing into space. The attraction lies in abundant solar power available in orbit, which can generate up to eight times more energy than comparable systems on Earth.