Google to Send Satellite With AI Processor Into Space on October 1

    Google will send a satellite carrying its TPU processor, designed for artificial intelligence computations, into space next week. The satellite will be launched into orbit on October 1 aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. This mission is the first real step in Project Suncatcher, an experimental initiative launched by Google to build artificial intelligence data centers in orbit in the future. The goal is to test how artificial intelligence tasks are performed in space.    The satellite will operate on solar power in low Earth orbit. The test will measure the TPU processors’ ability to withstand the physical stress, radiation, and sharp temperature changes caused by spaceflight. Tests conducted on Earth have shown that the processors can withstand the stress caused by high acceleration and radiation. According to Google, some tests can only be conducted in orbit.    How the processors will be cooled in orbit will also be tested separately. Google will test a system consisting of heat pipes and radiators for this purpose. According to Travis Beals, one of the leaders of Project Suncatcher, the chips will be able to operate for approximately 15 minutes because they heat up. They will then have to be turned off so they can cool down. This limitation is one of the main issues that must be resolved in future missions.    The flight is considered the beginning of a broader satellite network plan. Google plans to put 2 more satellites into orbit in 2027. In the future, a system consisting of satellites with numerous processors could be created as an alternative to data centers on Earth. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt have also previously raised the idea of building data centers in space.