Google plans to send its first AI server into space with SpaceX's Transporter-18 mission. The experiment, part of the Suncatcher project, aims to test how TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) accelerators withstand the specific conditions outside Earth - extreme radiation, dramatic temperature fluctuations and the overload at launch. For this purpose, a joint satellite with Planet has been developed, equipped with four TPU chips, also used in the technology giant's standard data centers.
The mission is not aimed at record-breaking computing power, but at fundamental hardware testing. The satellite's solar panels generate only 1 kW of power, which allows for the performance of short test tasks, including propelling Gemini series models. However, the main obstacle is cooling. Without an atmosphere to dissipate heat, the chips can only operate continuously for about 15 minutes, after which they must be turned off to cool down through a specially designed passive system of thermal interfaces, aluminum and copper elements, and an external heat sink.
In addition to thermal management, another key focus is cosmic radiation, which can cause memory and electronics to fail. Although ground-based proton tests have shown that the chips can withstand radiation exceeding a five-year orbital mission, the real test will come in space. This experiment is ahead of Google’s original schedule, with the company still sticking to its 2027 plan to test two laser-linked satellites.