Google to test AI chip in space

Google plans to test its artificial intelligence (AI) chips in space by launching a prototype satellite, the company announced on Thursday, according to German Press Agency (dpa). In low Earth orbit, satellites can harness near-constant sunlight, producing up to eight times more solar power compared to Earth. Google outlined its aspirations for linking multiple constellations of satellites to handle more extensive AI workloads while orbiting Earth.

The company intends to load Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) onto a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket next week to test how these chips withstand the physical stress of spaceflight and the radiation and thermal extremes of space. Google acknowledged that some experiments can only be conducted in space, emphasizing that this initial launch is primarily about identifying potential failures and refining future missions.

The company highlighted cooling orbital data centers and enabling high-bandwidth communication between satellites over extremely short distances as additional engineering challenges. Google emphasized that exploring space as a viable location for scalable AI compute is a gradual process, requiring methodical engineering. The primary objective is to prove that its hardware can endure the physical and unpredictable elements of operating in orbit.