Google Launches Satellite to Test AI Data Centers in Space

Google is shooting for the stars in its quest to make AI data centers more sustainable. Read on for how the technology company is entering the race to bring these controversial centers to space.

Google Sends AI Data Center Prototype to Space

Several communities across the U.S. are fighting back about AI data centers setting up shop in their backyards. As tech companies look at ways to temper this fight, they are exploring the idea of housing these centers in space. While the idea is still in its infancy, Google is racing to be the first to roll out the initiative.

The Google orbital data center initiative is known as Project Suncatcher. The prototype was launched on Thursday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The rideshare mission, known as Transporter-18, will gather data about the feasibility of AI chips in space.

Specifically, the experimental satellite will aim to determine how Google's tensor processing units (TPUs) perform after being jolted into orbit on top of a rocket. Testers will also look at how the TPUs perform under the pressure of radiation.

“This first launch is about seeing what works, identifying points of failure, and applying those findings to future missions,” explained Travis Beals, Google’s senior director of paradigms of intelligence. The company is planning to send two additional satellites into space in 2027 to continue the research.