Rechenzentren im All: Google schickt testweise KI-Chips ins All

Google is taking a pioneering step to determine whether data centers in space are feasible. The tech giant is sending four of its AI chips into orbit to test their ability to function. Initial challenges may arise during the launch phase, as the processors will be subjected to vibrations and multiple times the Earth's gravitational force, according to a blog post from Google.

Earth-based vibration tests have shown the chips can withstand these stresses. However, intense radiation outside Earth's atmosphere poses another hurdle, potentially damaging electronics. To simulate these effects, Google had subjected the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) chips to a proton beam in the lab. While confident that the technology could survive the planned five-year deployment in space data centers, Google acknowledged that "some things can only be tested in space."

The satellite carrying the Google chips is set to launch next week, launching alongside others on a SpaceX rocket from tech billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX. Musk has often expressed interest in building space-based data centers, primarily for the potential generation of large amounts of solar power for the facilities. However, the ongoing expansion of larger data centers for AI development, primarily in the U.S., faces growing opposition.

Musk believes launching these centers into space could be a solution. Google also emphasized the problem of cooling in space data centers. While it's cold in space, the lack of air in the vacuum means heat must be dissipated through cooling elements, requiring a different approach than on Earth. During the test, Google aimed to explore how its newly designed cooling system would function in real space conditions.

Another challenge is the transfer of large data volumes between individual space data center satellites moving at high speeds.