Google to Launch AI Satellite With TPUs Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 on October 1

The satellite will operate in low Earth orbit, where it can harness the power of the sun, according to The Verge. Google says the mission is intended to measure how well its TPUs handle the physical stress of spaceflight and the radiation and thermal extremes of space.

The launch is one step toward Google's goal of placing a constellation of chip-equipped satellites into space. The idea has also been floated by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt as an alternative to data centers on Earth. Google plans to put two satellites into orbit next year.

During testing, Google found that its TPUs can withstand high levels of g-force and radiation, but the company notes that some things can only be tested in space. It also plans to try out a cooling system involving heat pipes and radiators while the chips are in orbit. Travis Beals, Project Suncatcher's senior director of product management, told The New York Times that the chips can run for only about 15 minutes before they need to be turned off to cool down.

"Exploring space as a viable location for scalable AI compute won't happen all at once," Beals wrote in Google's announcement. "It takes methodical engineering, starting with proving our hardware can handle the physical and unpredictable realities of operating in orbit. This first launch is about seeing what works, identifying points of failure, and applying those findings to future missions."