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Google's TPUs to catch some rays in orbit next week
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Part of Project Suncatcher, the proof of concept aims to see how well lightly modified compute fares in orbit.
Key facts
- During launch, they explain that the chips will be subjected to as much as 50-100 gravities worth of amplified forces
- According to Google, it will need roughly 1.3 square meters of radiator area to dissipate the heat generated by a single TPU, and the search and advertising giant hopes to pack dozens of TPUs
- Part of Project Suncatcher, the proof of concept aims to see how well lightly modified compute fares in orbit
- Rather than grand plans and satellite concepts backed by dubious launch economics, Google's Project Suncatcher is being treated for what it is: a moonshot
Summary
Google will loft its tensor processing units (TPUs) into orbit aboard a SpaceX rocket next week, in the latest phase of its previously announced Project Suncatcher space datacenter initiative. The launch is part of a test mission to better understand how its homegrown compute platform will handle both the rigors of launch and the harsh environment of space. But that hasn't stopped the likes of Nvidia and Google from trying. Rather than grand plans and satellite concepts backed by dubious launch economics, Google's Project Suncatcher is being treated for what it is: a moonshot.