Google launches prototype orbital compute satellite aboard SpaceX rocket
Google sent its first advanced chip into space today on a SpaceX rocket launched from California.
Satellite mission objectives and power limits
The satellite carries a Google Tensor Processing Unit to prove the chip functions in orbit. It will run models in fifteen-minute bursts to manage power and cooling systems. Travis Beals manages Project Suncatcher, which plans large-scale compute clusters around Earth.
Future satellites and collaboration plans
A demo flight next year will launch two purpose-built satellites for advanced compute workloads. These future versions intend to collaborate using a laser communications link. The current platform is standard, but the upcoming designs are specific to computing needs.
Other payloads on the same rocket
The SpaceX launch carried more than one hundred different payloads alongside the Google satellite. Missions from Satlyt and Cowboy Space Company were also included in this flight. This mission marks the first time the tech giant has sent an advanced chip to space.
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