Google will send units of its AI chip into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket next week to test how the hardware performs in the harsh conditions of space.
The US technology company said the mission would assess how its Google TPU chips withstand the physical stress of launching, as well as radiation and extreme temperatures in orbit.
In a blog post on Thursday, Google said low Earth orbit offers near-constant sunlight, producing up to eight times more solar energy than available on Earth.
The company said this could eventually make it possible to link multiple satellite constellations, allowing them to handle larger AI workloads while remaining in orbit.
Some aspects of the technology can only be tested in space, it explained. It described the first launch as a way to identify what works, pinpoint failure points and apply those lessons to future missions.
The company added that cooling orbital data centres and ensuring reliable communication between satellites remained major technical challenges.
According to Google, large-scale AI computing in space would require a gradual and methodical engineering effort, beginning with proving that its hardware can cope with the unpredictable physical realities of operating in orbit.
Amid rising demand for data centres driven by AI development, Google and SpaceX are among the companies that have said they ultimately want to place such facilities in space.
However, these plans have prompted doubts over their feasibility and concerns about the potential debris they could create.
