As companies pour billions into Earth-based AI infrastructure, Google taking the data center race off-planet
Fortune 25 ● 2 sources
Google’s Project Suncatcher launched a refrigerator-sized satellite carrying 4 AI chips into orbit to test whether its TPU-based hardware can survive launch, radiation, and thermal conditions in space. The satellite lifted off on Oct. 1 and is expected to run experiments in low Earth orbit for about a year. Google will limit chip operation to 15-minute bursts to manage overheating while it gathers data, and plans two more laser-communication satellite launches in 2027.