"Although the TPU chips withstood radiation simulations in a particle accelerator, Google still faces hurdles ahead. According to Google's research paper, which Pichai posted in a thread, the final product would involve fleets of solar-powered satellites connected by optical links to exchange data, said the paper. Pichai said in the X post that thermal management and reliability are both challenging."
"If the tech giant could pull off the design challenge, its research paper argues that space-based computing could one day become a scalable solution, because it would run without draining electricity and water on Earth. Google's analysis also finds that by the mid-2030s, the cost to launch rockets could drop below $200 per kilogram, which potentially makes sending a data center into space cheaper than building one on Earth."
Project Suncatcher would deploy satellites equipped with Trillium-generation Tensor Processing Units to run machine-learning workloads in low-Earth orbit. Two prototype satellites are planned for early 2027 to test TPU performance. TPU chips withstood radiation simulations in a particle accelerator but thermal management and reliability remain challenging. The envisioned system uses fleets of solar-powered satellites connected by optical links to exchange data and harness abundant solar energy. Analysis projects launch costs could fall below $200 per kilogram by the mid-2030s, potentially making space-based data centers cheaper than terrestrial ones. SpaceX and other startups are pursuing similar concepts.
Read at Business Insider
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