tech
If you want to satiate AI’s hunger for power, Google suggests going to space
Google engineers think they already have all the pieces needed to build a data center in orbit.
TL;DR
- Project Suncatcher aims to bring artificial intelligence to space via satellite constellations.
- Satellites will be equipped with Google's AI chips (TPUs) and powered by solar energy.
- Space offers a solution for unlimited renewable energy and heat dissipation for data centers.
- Satellites will orbit along the day-night terminator for continuous sunlight exposure.
- Google's TPUs have shown resilience to space radiation in early tests.
- Project Suncatcher plans to use swarms of smaller satellites communicating via laser links.
- A prototype mission with two satellites is planned for launch in early 2027 in partnership with Planet.
- Decreasing launch costs, partly due to SpaceX, are making space-based data centers more economically viable.
- Google envisions scaling to terawatt-class orbital data centers.