Google Tries AI Chips in Space with New Satellite Launch

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

The launch marks the first step in Google's Project Suncatcher, a long-term research project conducted in partnership with Planet Labs PBC to explore hosting scalable machine learning infrastructure in space.

Over the coming weeks, Google will collect data on how its TPUs handle physical stress, radiation, and thermal extremes in space. This data will be used to refine future designs for satellite-based AI infrastructure.