Google to Launch Experimental Satellite With Onboard AI Compute

Google is scheduled to launch an experimental satellite named MVP on Oct 1, aiming to test whether AI processing can be performed in space. The satellite carries four TPU computing chips with a combined processing power comparable to that of a server, allowing it to handle simple AI queries directly in orbit.

MVP is part of Google's Project Suncatcher, an initiative to deploy AI data centers in space powered by solar energy. It will lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The satellite is not a full data center but an experimental precursor. Its solar panels generate about 1 kilowatt of power, roughly the electricity used by a hair dryer, which is enough to run the four chips and test their resilience in harsh space conditions. MVP is designed to operate for one year while processing simple AI queries, though the satellite could remain in orbit for up to six years before gradually decaying and burning up in the atmosphere.