Heat Limit Sets Pace for Space-Based Data Centers

Google plans to launch four AI chips into orbit on October 1, aboard a SpaceX rocket. The satellite, MVP, was built in collaboration with Planet, a company that produces Earth-watching satellites.

The test aims to demonstrate the feasibility of space-based data centers, which would use solar power and reduce reliance on ground-based infrastructure. However, experts warn that there are still significant challenges to overcome.

According to Google's research paper, every system has a single input that runs out first, setting the size of everything else. In data centers, this is often electricity. With power easy to obtain in space, something else takes its place as the limiting factor.

The heat generated by chips is a major concern for space-based computing. Since there's no air or water to dissipate heat, satellites must radiate it away using flat panels called radiators. However, these are slow and inefficient, requiring large areas to cool even small amounts of power.

The test satellite MVP runs on 1 kilowatt of power and carries four chips. These will run for only 15 minutes before shutting off to cool down, due to the limited radiator area. Future satellites will carry dozens of chips, generating much more heat and requiring larger radiators, which in turn increase weight and launch costs.