Google is preparing to send a small AI data center into low-Earth orbit as part of Project Suncatcher, according to Engadget. The payload, a satellite named MVP, will carry four tensor processing units that together offer the power of a single server. It is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on October 1, with solar panels supplying just one kilowatt of power.
The experiment is designed to test how the chips hold up in the harsh conditions of space. Google has already subjected the chips to radiation testing at Crocker Nuclear Laboratory. To counter radiation-induced bit flips, the company plans to restart the chips when they malfunction. A proprietary cooling system uses conductive layers to expel heat, but it only works for around 15 minutes before the chips must be powered down.
The business case remains uncertain. Google says it wants to launch two similar satellites next year and eventually build a network of 80 satellites flying in close formation, plus a much larger satellite roughly the size of a football field. However, Google's Senior Vice President for Research, Technology & Society, James Manyika, said, "We don't expect, to be perfectly frank, that we'll have anything usefully operational in the next few years." Carnegie Mellon professor Brandon Lucia added that scaling from one satellite to a vast network will take years and enormous funds. Launch costs alone are steep, with a single Falcon 9 launch priced at around $74 million.
The report notes that Elon Musk has called space-based AI data centers easy, but significant engineering problems remain, including cosmic rays that can melt semiconductor junctions. Since Engadget relies on Google's statements and two cited experts, the financial outlook for the project is not independently assessed. The source does not indicate how much Google is investing in the endeavor.