Google is testing whether AI data centers can work in space

Google plans to launch its first satellite carrying AI chips on October 1, testing whether computing infrastructure for AI could eventually operate in orbit.

The launch is part of Project Suncatcher, Google’s effort to explore solar-powered satellites that could work together on AI workloads. The company says satellites in low Earth orbit could receive near-constant sunlight, and estimates that solar panels there could generate up to eight times more power than on Earth.

The satellite will carry four Google TPU chips on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission. Built with Planet, it will collect data on how the chips withstand launch vibration, radiation and extreme temperatures. The October 1 date and chip count were reported by The Verge.

Cooling the chips is another challenge. In a vacuum, there is no airflow to carry heat away, so Google is testing a system that uses heat pipes and radiators. The company says the upcoming flight will show how that cooling setup performs in orbit.

Google’s longer-term plan is to connect satellites with high-bandwidth laser links so they can handle larger AI workloads. It plans to test those links with two satellites in 2027. Project Suncatcher remains a research effort, and Google says it is using these tests to find out whether satellite clusters could eventually provide AI computing capacity in space.