Google Tests AI Chips in Space with Suncatcher Project

Google's ambitious Project Suncatcher has reached an important milestone with the successful launch of its first prototype satellite. The satellite, which is roughly the size of a refrigerator and orbits about 650 kilometers above Earth, is testing Google's A.I. chips in space.

The project aims to prove that A.I. data centers can be more efficient than those on Earth by harnessing solar power in orbit. According to Google, solar panels in space can generate up to eight times more electricity than comparable installations on the ground.

On board the satellite are four Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) of the Trillium generation, which will run Google's open A.I. model Gemma in 15-minute intervals. The mission is planned to last about a year and will collect data from orbit to refine its designs.