Google Tests AI Data Center in Space with Tiny Satellite Launch
Google is pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence by sending a tiny AI data center into space. The experiment, part of Project Suncatcher, aims to test how four specialized computer chips, called tensor processing units, perform in the harsh conditions of space.
The satellite, named MVP, will be launched on October 1 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and placed into orbit. It will be powered by solar panels that supply just one kilowatt of power, equivalent to running a hair dryer. The chips have undergone rigorous testing to simulate the effects of space radiation, which can cause 'bit flips' that alter binary code.
Google plans to restart the chips when they act up and has implemented a proprietary cooling system to expel heat into space. However, this system only works for 15 minutes before the chips need to be turned off to cool down.
The company expects it will take years and enormous funds to scale up the project from one satellite to a vast network of them operating like a giant data center. James Manyika, Senior Vice President for Research, Technology & Society at Google, warned that 'we don't expect' anything usefully operational in the next few years.