Google to Launch First Project Suncatcher Satellite Test in October

The satellite is roughly the size of a refrigerator and integrates Google's custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) into a spacecraft built by Planet Labs. While terrestrial data centers consume massive amounts of electricity, orbital data centers could leverage near-constant solar power, with Google's engineers noting that low Earth orbit could provide up to eight times more solar power than Earth.

This mission focuses on evaluating how TPUs handle the unique physical stresses of space, such as intense vibrations during launch and high-energy radiation. While ground testing has shown that Trillium TPUs can withstand radiation levels exceeding a five-year space mission, the orbital launch will provide critical data on real-world conditions.

Cooling presents a significant engineering challenge in a vacuum where airflow is unavailable. Google is testing a system that uses thermal interface material to connect the chips to aluminum and copper heat pipes, which then transfer heat to radiators for radiation into space. Due to the current cooling capacity, the TPUs will only operate in brief intervals of approximately 15 minutes before requiring a shutdown to allow the radiators to catch up.