Google Tests AI Chips in Space with Prototype Satellite Launch

Google has launched a prototype satellite into orbit to test how its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) operate in space. The satellite, carrying four Google TPUs, was launched aboard SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare mission on Thursday.

According to Google, the launch is the first step of its Project Suncatcher, a long-term research project conducted in partnership with Planet Labs PBC. The goal of this project is to explore whether scalable machine learning infrastructure could be hosted in space.

The satellite will collect data on how the TPUs handle physical stress, radiation, and thermal extremes in space over the coming weeks. Google will use this data to refine its future designs.