"Google is in negotiations with SpaceX to secure the company's help in its own nascent effort to put orbital data centers in space, reports The Wall Street Journal. If the two sides were to reach a deal, it would see two competitors working together."
"There's no doubt to me that a decade or so away, we'll be viewing it as a more normal way to build data centers,"
"Musk, in his announcement of the SpaceX and xAI merger, meanwhile said that within three years satellites would be the cheapest way to generate AI compute power."
"Experts Engadget spoke to in February expressed doubts whether it's possible to carry out AI inference in space at scale. GPUs in satellites would be subjected to constant cosmic radiation that would affect their ability to perform error-free calculations, and cooling them in the near vacuum of space, where the only way to dissipate heat is to slowly radiate it out, is difficult. On top of all that, putting millions of satellites in low Earth orbit is very likely to have extremely detrimental effects on the planet's atmosphere and the ability of other companies and governments to fly spacecraft safely."
Google is negotiating with SpaceX to support an effort to place orbital data centers in space. The initiative, called Project Suncatcher, was announced by Google in November and focuses on feasibility. SpaceX’s related plans emerged earlier, including a merger with xAI aimed at launching large numbers of orbital data satellites. Google is also discussing other rocket-launch companies and is already working with Planet Labs to design and build satellites. Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk both describe orbital data centers and satellites as inevitable for future computing. Experts raise concerns about performing AI inference at scale due to cosmic radiation, cooling challenges in near-vacuum conditions, and potential harm to Earth’s atmosphere and safe spacecraft operations.
Read at Engadget
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