Google Plans Orbital Test of AI Computing with Experimental Satellite

Google plans to launch an experimental satellite, named MVP, as part of Project Suncatcher. The mission will utilize a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. MVP is a small test platform carrying four of Google's tensor processing units (TPUs), which provide the computing capacity of a single data center server. The satellite will test major technical challenges, including radiation and heat, while solar panels produce about one kilowatt of electricity.

The project explores whether networks of solar-powered satellites could function as space-based data centers for AI workloads. The testing focuses on how TPUs perform when exposed to the rigors of space, having previously been tested against radiation at the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory.