Google's Suncatcher Orbital Data Center Test Launches on October 1

Google's first Suncatcher orbital data center test is set to launch on October 1. The satellite, which will be used to evaluate the performance of Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) in space conditions, has undergone testing on the ground but a full picture of its capabilities can only be obtained by launching it into orbit.

The team behind Suncatcher is aware that TPUs are not specifically designed for extreme temperatures or radiation, which can damage chips and interfere with calculations. However, they believe that off-the-shelf hardware like the TPUs used in servers on the ground can hold up well in space conditions, as seen in missions like the Ingenuity Mars helicopter.

The main challenge facing Suncatcher is cooling its AI accelerators, which generate a significant amount of heat. Google has developed a thermal interface material that connects the chips to aluminum and copper heat pipes, which conduct heat into radiators that can project it into space.

However, the cooling system will only be able to operate in brief spurts of about 15 minutes before needing to shut down to allow the radiators to catch up. This means that the TPUs on board Suncatcher will not be able to run continuously during testing.