Google launches TPUs into orbit: Project Suncatcher's space datacenter bet
AI寒武纪 · wechat · 2026-09-25
Google's Project Suncatcher will soon launch an experimental satellite, built with Planet Labs, carrying four Trillium TPUs that will run Gemini in orbit. The pitch is energy: solar power in low-Earth orbit can reach 8x ground levels. Engineers cleared three hurdles — 50-100g launch vibration, radiation-induced bit flips (tested with proton beams simulating 5 years, fixed by reboot), and vacuum cooling via pure conduction (15-min full-power bursts). Laser inter-satellite linking tests are set for 2027, with cost parity with terrestrial datacenters projected for the mid-2030s.
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